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Marine Pulls Man From Burning Truck

2012-02-25T02:05:00.000-05:00

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C., Feb. 24, 2012 – Running late on his way to pick up a new fishing boat after work Feb. 14, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David S. Shouse was driving through the small town of Boiling Spring Lakes, N.C., when he saw a truck engulfed in flames.

Shouse, a supply clerk here, pulled over to see what was going on. Inside the truck, 59-year-old Steven Early was stuck, desperately trying to pry himself out.
“I was going to call 911 right away, but then I saw him,” said Shouse, a Ripley, Ohio, native. “The only thing going through my mind when I saw him was, ‘There’s a guy in that truck, and I have to get him out.’” Grabbing Early’s flailing arm, he pulled him out of the truck and dragged him a safe distance from the fire.
“The fire was so huge, and I was worried for the man’s life,” Shouse said. “I thought he was going to be very hurt.”

Luckily, Early was the only person in the vehicle. All of the truck’s tires were melted down, and the entire vehicle, aside from where Early sat, was an inferno, Shouse said. “With how big the flames were, I kept thinking, ‘Please don’t explode,’” he said. “I thought it was going to be like the movies.”

After the incident, Shouse called Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Scott A. Laroche, his good friend and roommate.

“When he called me and told me what happened, I didn’t believe him,” Laroche said. “It doesn’t surprise me, though, that Shouse would do something like this.”

His friend is known for always being there for his fellow Marines, Laroche added. On many occasions, he said, he has changed his plans for someone else’s benefit, taking duties for people, giving rides or just offering up a place to crash for the night.

In front of several hundred Marines two days after the rescue, Shouse’s commanding officer, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Samuel P. Mowery, commended his selflessness.

“Your actions outside the workplace are indicative of what you do in the workplace,” Mowery said. Shouse said he was just glad he was there, and that the man was OK.

“It’s good I was running late to pick up my boat,” he said.
The only thing that bothered him, he added, was that he saw cars in front of him drive past the flaming vehicle.

“I don’t understand why anyone would do that,” he said. “He truly cares about others and doesn’t expect or want anything in return,” Laroche said. “We need more people in this world like Shouse.”

3RD RECON MARINES HONOR FALLEN DURING CEREMONY

2012-02-25T01:05:00.000-05:00

CAMP SCHWAB, OKINAWA, Japan — 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion Marines said final farewells to two comrades during a memorial service here Feb. 3.

Sgt. Daniel D. Gurr and Cpl. Adam J. Buyes were both killed in action during a recent deployment to Afghanistan with 3rd Recon. Bn., 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

“When the battalion lost Sgt. Gurr on 5 August and Cpl. Buyes on 26 November, we all felt a tremendous sense of loss that to one degree or another affect every single member across the battalion,” said Lt. Col. Travis Homiak, the battalion’s commanding officer.

“A memorial service was held and a flag was flown aboard Patrol Base Alcatraz for each man. However, the real grieving and assimilation, the making sense of the loss, that was put on hold until we completed our mission and returned to Okinawa. Both men were dedicated professionals being United States Marines and on top of that they accepted the added challenge of becoming a reconnaissance Marine. They truly represented the best our nation and the Marine Corps has to offer.”

The battalion returned from Afghanistan in December 2011. During the deployment, Buyes was a reconnaissance radio operator and Gurr was a tactical debriefer.

“By their selfless service and sacrifice, every citizen of our nation owes them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid,” said Brig. Gen. Frederick M. Padilla, commanding general, 3rd Mar. Div.

The service began a day of remembrance for the fallen Marines’ families, who attended the service, along with their brothers-in-arms.

“Sgt. Daniel Gurr and Cpl. Adam Buyes will never be forgotten by those who served with them and by their loving families,” Padilla said. “Their loss will leave a space that cannot be filled. We may however take some small measure of comfort in knowing that they lived their lives as men of action and as President Ronald Reagan said, ‘they made a difference.’”

The hole left by the fallen Marines was also noted by Sgt. Michael Barczak, one of Gurr’s friends in the battalion, said this during the service:

“What I’ve come to understand since (Gurr’s) passing is that when you spend that much time with someone you learn basically everything there is to know about each other,” said Barczak. “When the smoke settles what you have is a forged bond that cannot be broken by anything or anyone. When you let someone so deeply into your life, that person never leaves you. What I’ve also come to understand is when that very same person is so abruptly taken away from you, you are left with a large, gaping hole in your heart that nobody could ever fill. In the end all you are left with are the memories you’ve made with them and, most importantly, a brother’s love.”

Buyes was also remembered fondly during the service.

“A warrior thinks of death when things become unclear,” said Staff Sgt. Saint-Matthew Scott, Buyes’ staff noncommissioned officer. “The idea of death is the only thing that tempers our soul. It truly pains me to see a son, not of my blood, but a son in the truest form, taken. Adam was a big guy. But his size was only dwarfed by the size of his heart.”

During the service, Gurr’s family accepted the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing device in honor of their son.

Buyes’ family also accepted the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal in honor of their fallen son.

“Sgt. Gurr and Cpl. Buyes are now on advanced party,” said Padilla. “They’re providing watch from a new observation post. May God bless them and keep them until we meet again.”

SISTERS

2011-12-27T21:14:00.001-05:00

Copyright © 2011 Vanguard of Freedom

What started as a simple journey for U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Tess White turned into a race against time to see her sister, U.S. Army Sgt. Tobey White, before her tour of duty ended in Afghanistan.

Tess’ journey began Dec. 9, when she left Fort Richardson, Alaska, and traveled around the world, worrying she would miss her sister, Tobey, who was near the completion of her deployment. Her worries were unfounded as she arrived at Forward Operating Base Salerno Dec. 21 and reunited with her sister.

The sisters, Columbus, Ohio, natives, have a rich family history, both parents are former Marines, and someone from their family has fought in every war since the Civil War.

Now, the two sisters take their own place in their family’s history as the first two females to fight in a war. Tobey is the first female in war and Tess is the first commissioned officer. Their mom, Hollie Andrews, was the first female to join the military.

Tess, the officer in charge for the joint visitor bureau, Headquarters, Headquarters Company 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Task Force Spartan, said that she and her sister have always been in competition with one another, and joining the military was no different.

Both sisters competed to be the first commissioned officer. When Tobey, a public affairs specialist for HHC, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke, first entered Officer Candidate School, Tess was still in college going through Reserve Officer Training Corps and was thrilled for her sister, until she realized one important aspect.

“Tobey’s going to commission before me and out rank me. That’s not fair,” Tess said.

Tess also added that her sister has still yet to salute her.

“I’ve saluted you,” Tobey said with a lighthearted stare. “Remember after you received your commission?”

Tobey joined the enlisted side after an injury prevented her from completing Officer Candidate School. After her injury, Tobey was faced with the choice of leaving the Army or re-classing. She spoke with her father, who gave her blunt advice.

“We’re not quitters. Do what you want to, but we are not quitters,” he told her.

Her father’s words inspired her to continue with an Army career, re-classing as a public affairs journalist.

“Failing out of OCS was probably the best thing for me because it gave me the opportunity to work in public affairs,” Tobey said, “which is what I wanted to do anyways. I was very pleased with the end result.”

For Tess, serving her country has always been a life-long dream. In high school she tried to enlist in the Marine Corps, but her father, a former Marine Gunnery Sergeant and veteran of Desert Storm, made a deal with her.

“’Give me one year of college; if you don’t like it, then you can join.’ That was the deal we made,” said Tess.

Tess eventually joined the ROTC program at Ohio State University, where she received a two-year ROTC scholarship and earned her commission.

She also met her husband at the Leader Development & Assessment Course at Fort Lewis, Wash., who is currently finishing field artillery training and hoping to join the 2nd Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, of the 4th ABCT.

A running joke between the sisters and their parents is whose service is the toughest. Their mother, a former Marine Corps corporal, enjoys teasing her daughters.

Tess shared one particular moment when she attended a military ball while a cadet.

“I wore my Class A’s, and my mom tells me ‘I never thought one of my daughters would ever wear those greens,’” said Tess. “I was about ready to cry.”

Tobey added that when she was trying to choose which service to enter, her parents fully supported any choice she made telling her, “’It’s your life. Choose the service that is the best fit for you.’”

Upon signing the contract, however her parents teased her by saying the Marines were too tough.

As Tobey’s tour comes to a close and Tess’ begins, the sisters look forward to spending Christmas with each other and opening their presents together.

“I lugged a few gifts with me just to have her open them on Christmas,” said Tess.

Tobey also left her sister with words of encouragement.

“Your deployment will be what you make of it,” she told her younger sister. “If you stay focused, work out, and don’t get complacent, the time will fly by.”

“Take care of Dad,” Tess told her sister. “Mom will be fine, but you know Dad will spend every other day worrying.”

Tess then proceeded to give her sister one more good tease about why she is better.

“I’m airborne and she’s not Airborne, Hooah!” joked Tess.

Story: Spc. Eric James Estrada; Photo: Staff Sgt. Jason Epperson

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Long live the King: Marine returns to Corps after 21 years, shares wisdom with juniors

2011-12-27T20:39:00.000-05:00

Copyright © 2011 Vanguard of Freedom

Afghanistan - He can be found in the early mornings, rousing exhausted twenty year-olds from the rack with a mug of steaming coffee in hand, or come evening, shrouded in a veil of cigar smoke, reclining in a leather armchair within a plank and plywood shack of his own construction.

In the corner of the shanty, a rusty and once derelict oven has been put to good use, and the fire smoldering inside never seems to go out, which is something that can be said of Sgt. Randy King, a platoon guide with 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, who serves alongside the Marines of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.

At first glance, he appears weathered and hard-bitten, but within seconds a smile flashes across his face, followed shortly by a gruff, but full-bellied laugh and his eyes look back with both wisdom and benevolence.

The 50-year-old sergeant walks among his Marines, dolling out advice while they work, and a helping hand where needed.

He is a man of two Corps’, of two generations of Marines, having begun his time in the service in 1979, serving for eight years before ending his active duty contract, for nearly two decades, before returning once more.

“I liked everything there was about the Marine Corps,” said King, explaining how when he was in high school, he accompanied a friend of his to the recruiter’s office, and found something he didn’t know he was looking for.

“Listening to the recruiter talk, I thought, ‘I like this; I want to be a Marine.’ I was 17 years old, in high school, trying to become a man, and once I started talking to him I knew I wasn’t going any place else. Marines were the toughest, the best, and at once I knew I really wanted to do this, become a Marine and a man in the same instance, in my mind.”

Shortly thereafter, King was on his way to recruit training. Originally in the motor transportation field, he changed specialties at the end of his first enlistment, going into logistics, but after eight years, he ended his active duty service.

“I love the honor. You look out for my back and I got yours…the mentorship and seeing Marines grow,” explained King. “Even if they just stay in for four years, you’re trying to create a better person, a better man. We have honor, courage, the types of things that as a boy you idolize, like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood characters, but the real thing. As a Marine, you try to live by those standards; being a good Marine means being a good person.”

“I loved it the entire time I was in,” said King, adding that he got out for his family, and during the time away from the Corps, met his current wife. “She had two kids and I had two, so we had a sort of ‘Brady Bunch’ thing going on.”

King, who currently serves in the Marine Corps Reserve, and works as a captain in the Enka-Candler fire and rescue department in North Carolina, found himself back in the recruiter’s office 21 years later, once again accompanying another on their way to enlist; his son.

“My son went down and started talking to the recruiter … and I went down there with him to check his paperwork, and the recruiter was talking to me. He said ‘you’re a retired Marine?,’ I was like, ‘no sir, I’m not. I spent eight years in then got out.’ He asked ‘why don’t I come back in,’ and I started laughing at him. ‘I’m 47 years old, who’re you joking!’ and he said ‘no, you can get a waiver and six months you can be in.’ ‘I said, give me the paperwork.’”

King finishes the story with a long laugh, and an easy smile, before adding, “my wife says I’ve always been a Marine, and it’s true, once a Marine, always a Marine.”

Six months later, King was headed back to the Marine Corps, and his son was beginning his first enlistment, and now serves as a military policeman aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C.

With the experiences under his belt, a career back home, an associate’s degree, a wife and a family of four, most in King’s situation would be looking toward retirement, an end to work, but he seems intent on the opposite.

“I’ve been working ever since to get on active duty and I plan on finishing out 20 years,’ King said. “ I plan to show my wife some of the world. Ever since we got together we’ve always had kids, but now that it’s just her and I since they’re grown, it’s time for us to go out and see the world, depending on where I’m stationed, maybe travel, see the world. It’s just the lifestyle I’d like to show her for the next 10 years.”

But, before King can begin to work toward his long term goal of retirement, he must finish out this deployment, where both his inherent leadership skills, and experience, have earned him the respect of those he serves with.

“He’s just kind of the ‘go-to-guy’; you know he’s older and seems to know everything,” said Lance Cpl. Joseph Perry, combat engineer, from Maryville, Tenn., and a 2009 graduate of Maryville High School.

“I think he and Jesus went to high school together,” Perry added jokingly. “He’s one of those ‘there’s a thousand ways to skin a cat’ guys. In his civilian job he’s a captain at his fire department, and a lot of the leadership carries over. You can see it. He really does care about his guys.”

After a close friend of his was injured during combat operations in support of 1/6, Perry turned to King for help.

“I had a lot of trouble sleeping, and just problems with combat stress. Talking to Sgt. King at night, because he’s been there and has seen people hurt, and because he’s older and experienced, he’s given me ways to deal with it.”

Looking out for the welfare of those subordinate to a leader is one of their core roles, second only to mission accomplishment. With someone like King, it’s readily apparent the moment he introduces himself, offering a drink, or a cigar, and prowling the engineer lot for scrap wood to help make tables and desks for others.

“You see a lot of the young guys around here, and they’re like my kids,” said King. “It makes me feel good to try to help mentor or coach them along and watch them grow, like the guys on this deployment. It makes me feel good to see how they’ve grown and matured, they’re still young, all Marines are in a sense. I’m a big kid at heart, but, we’re more mature about what we do and how we make decisions. Do we make that right decision or do we goof off?”

For King, his determination to stay in is dependent not on time, but on capability, he explains, “As long as I am in shape so I can compete with them on their level, not in the 46-and-up bracket, but in their bracket and those guys have to keep up with me, I want to stay in, but when I’m not, it’s time for me to get out of here.”

With the end of their deployment just around the corner, King prepares to head home to his wife and children, but even while abroad he takes comfort in the fact that where there are Marines, he has both a home and a family.

Story and Photo: Cpl James Clark

Vanguard of Freedom Network / Patriot Action Network / Liberty News Network

Unmanned helicopter makes first delivery for Marines in Afghanistan

2011-12-27T20:18:00.000-05:00

CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan -- Unmanned systems have revolutionized combat aviation, providing a colossal advantage in the fight against terror with surveillance and close-air support.

Recently, a detachment of Marines from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 in Afghanistan added aerial resupply to the list of UAV capabilities.

The detachment completed its first unmanned aerial system cargo delivery in a combat zone using a helicopter in Afghanistan, Dec. 17.

“We delivered cargo today that was supposed to be delivered by convoy, now that convoy has three pallets that it does not have to carry, “explained Maj. Kyle O’Connor, the officer-in-charge of the squadron’s cargo resupply unmanned aerial system detachment.

The unmanned helicopter moved about 3,500 pounds of food and supplies to troops at Combat Outpost Payne. The helicopter, an unmanned variant of a K-MAX, completed the delivery in about an hour and a half.

“It is a milestone, certainly. We have delivered a lot of loads in the States during training, testing and evaluation,” said Steven Athanas, a representative from Lockheed Martin. “Now that we have integrated it into the battlespace, we have gone from what you think can happen -- to what can happen.”

A human-piloted variant of the K-MAX helicopter was first developed in the 1990s. The manned version is used for heavy-lifting in corporate industry, including logging.

“This is a demonstration phase to test the true capabilities of this aircraft and how well it can perform its job in a combat environment,” said O’Connor. “With every flight in theater we are collecting data, and at the end of the day we are going to look at all of that data and decide whether or not to make it a program of record.”

“During this phase we will be making some adjustments to make it easier to use, but mostly I think the biggest adjustments will be seeing how many different ways we can use the unmanned aerial system,” said Athanas.

At the end of a six month assessment in Afghanistan, the Marine Corps will have the option to fully implement the platform.

Vanguard of Freedom Network / Patriot Action Network / Liberty News Network

Peace Through Strength

2011-12-02T10:15:00.002-05:00

Legislation Honoring Fallen Border Patrol Agent Clears Committee, Moves to Full House Vote

2011-10-14T00:56:00.000-04:00

Copyright © 2011 Vanguard of Freedom

Measure would name Bisbee, Ariz., facility after slain Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry, Killed in Line of Duty in Dec. 2010

(WASHINGTON)—The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today approved a bill to rename the Bisbee, Ariz., Border Patrol facility after agent Brian Terry who was killed on duty in December 2010. The bill, H.R. 2668, was authored by Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) and is supported by 68 Democratic and Republican cosponsors.

“Brian Terry gave his life in service of his country. With today’s vote, the naming of the Bisbee station in his honor is one step closer to reality. Naming this facility after Agent Terry is just one small tribute to an officer who gave the ultimate sacrifice, and to his fellow agents who face that same risk every day,” Chairman Issa said.

Agent Terry’s family issued a statement upon introduction of the bill in July, saying, “From the very start, Brian loved his job as a Border Patrol agent and loved his fellow agents. The new Naco Station named in Brian’s honor will serve as a lasting memory for all those who knew Brian.”

"Our nation's Border Patrol agents have a distinguished history of working to protect our borders. Agent Terry, who served our nation through his military service and his career with the Border Patrol, gave his life defending this country. Naming the Bisbee station in his honor recognizes his sacrifice, service and heroism," Issa said.

"In the past half-century, 70 U.S. Border Patrol agents -- including Agent Terry -- have been killed while protecting our nation," said Pia Carusone, chief of staff for Rep. Giffords (D-Ariz.), whose office worked with Issa on the legislation. "Congresswoman Giffords has led the fight for increased border security so Agent Terry and others will not have died in vain."

Terry died December 15, 2010 after being shot on patrol 14 miles north of the U.S./Mexico border near Rio Rico, Ariz., during an armed confrontation with suspected criminals. Agent Terry’s murder is linked to Operation Fast and Furious, a U.S. Department of Justice-led program that knowingly allowed illegally-purchased weapons to be trafficked into Mexico and into the hands of drug cartels. Chairman Issa has led the Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigation into this program.

Prior to his service in the Border Patrol, Agent Terry served in the U.S. Marine Corps and as a police officer in Michigan.

The bill, H.R. 2668, the "Brian A. Terry Memorial Act," has 52 Democratic and Republican cosponsors including principal cosponsor Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The bill renames the facility at 2163 Naco Highway in Bisbee, and is only the second border patrol station to be named for a fallen agent. The facility in Murrieta, Calif., is named in honor of Agents Theodore L. Newton, Jr., and George F. Azrak, both killed on duty in 1967.

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Special Ops Commander: America Stronger Than Ever

2011-09-12T14:51:00.001-04:00

Copyright © 2011 Vanguard of Freedom

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2011 – The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the helicopter shoot-down in Afghanistan last month that killed 38 men are linked by the events of 9/11, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command said.

Navy Adm. William H. McRaven spoke at a 9/11 remembrance service Sept. 9 at the Hillsborough Sherrif's Department in Tampa, Fla.
The admiral, a Navy SEAL, assumed command of Socom on Aug. 8.

“Aug. 6 was not 9/11,” McRaven said. “The tragedies are nevertheless inextricably linked by the events of that September day, and the courage displayed by the families left behind is indicative of the strength and the resolve and the compassion of this great nation since Sept. 11.”

The admiral served during Operation Desert Storm and has commanded at every level in the special operations community, with assignments as commander of the Joint Special Operations Command and Special Operations Command Europe, as well as serving as commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group 1 and commander of Navy SEAL Team 3.

In May, while serving as commander of Joint Special Operations Command, McRaven worked with then-CIA Director and now Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta to find and kill Osama bin Laden.

Over the past weeks, McRaven said, he’s been privileged to attend “solemn and inspiring” memorial services for those killed Aug. 6.
“They were solemn, because we lost so many loved ones, but they were inspiring because of the strength of the families and the lessons those families teach us about life after 9/11,” McRaven said. “One grieving mother told me that she would always remember what she lost, but she was so thankful for what she still had.”
Sept. 11 may have given the nation its greatest tragedy, but it also inspired the next greatest generation, he said.

“The men who boarded that helicopter on the evening of 6 August came from every walk of life, every corner of the nation. They represented all that is good about this country,” the admiral said. “They were all children of 9/11 who raised their hands and volunteered to serve. And with that service came a sense of duty, patriotism and national values that define who we are and what we bring to this world.”
On 9/11 the nation lost loved ones, innocent men and women going about their daily lives to earn a living for themselves and their families, along with first responders, firemen, policemen, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, the admiral said.

“In 10 years that the cancer of terrorism has spread, thousands of Americans and allied soldiers have perished fighting this scourge,” McRaven said. “And let’s not forget the Iraqis and Afghans who fought and died alongside our men, just hoping for a better life.”

Americans lost their innocence and sense of security, he added, “but as that mother reminded me, what we have remains as important as what we lost.” “We have our freedom,” he said. “That sometimes sounds trite, until you spend time with people who don’t have it.”

Americans still have dreams and the ability to make those dreams a reality in a great country that welcomes diversity, thrives on individualism and cherishes new ideas and new cultures, the admiral said.

“We should also remember that there are evil men in the world who want to do us harm, who want to shoot down helicopters and fly planes into towering structures, but we should never forget that there is great good in the world, … and that good will always prevail,” McRaven said.

“I have seen the acts of barbarians as they tried to destroy what they cannot understand and what threatens their twisted sense of righteousness,” he added. “But I have seen far greater acts of kindness from average Americans who risk everything to help people in need.”

The lessons learned from 9/11, Aug. 6 and the 10 years in between, the admiral said, “is that as a people and as a nation we are stronger than ever before. Our greatness was never measured by our towering skyscrapers, our military might or our economic power.”

American greatness is measured in the strength of its people, the firmness of its convictions and the belief that no one can destroy the American dream, no matter how many times they try, he said.

“As we take time to remember and honor those who perished on that fateful day almost 10 years ago,” McRaven said, “let us also take time to remember what we have and to recommit ourselves to the values that made this country great.”

Vanguard of Freedom Network / Patriot Action Network / Liberty News Network

DUTY, HONOR, VALOR

2011-07-31T19:39:00.000-04:00

FRENCH GOVERNMENT HONORS U.S. SOLDIERS

2011-07-26T22:02:00.002-04:00

Five American National Guard soldiers and one who serves on active duty were honored with the Croix de la Valeur Militaire – or French Cross of Military Valor -- in a private ceremony at the French ambassador’s residence attended by senior leaders including Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Army chief of staff, and Army Maj. Gen. Timothy Kadavy, deputy director of the Army National Guard.

“I am deeply honored to … pay tribute to six most outstanding American soldiers from the United States Army and the Army National Guard who distinguished themselves while fighting the Taliban and al-Qaida elements in Afghanistan,” said French Ambassador François Delattre.

“Through their outstanding bravery and engagement in combat,” the ambassador continued, “they fought at the risk of their own lives to assist French soldiers, their brothers in arms, who experienced a barrage of fire from the enemy.”

The five National Guard soldiers supported a French regiment executing a mission in and around Afghanistan’s Uzbeen Valley in 2009; the active duty soldier was recognized for similarly heroic action in the same region a year earlier.

“They were trying to get at the French operating in the valley,” said Army National Guard Capt. Thomas Harper, one of the awardees. “We prevented that from happening, allowing them to conduct their mission.”

Created in 1956 by the French government to reward extraordinary deeds of bravery carried out as part of security and law enforcement operations, the Croix de la Valeur Militaire is one of the most respected decorations in the French military, Delattre said.

“Your courage honors you as well as your country; your exemplary service deserves to be commended,” Delattre told Army Maj. Richard Nessel of the 10th Special Forces Group, the active duty soldier among the honorees.

“You demonstrated the highest military qualities and sense of duty,” Delattre told the five Army National Guard soldiers who received the award: Capt. Thomas Harper, Master Sgt. David Nuemer, Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Ahern, Staff Sgt. Casey Roberts and Sgt. Ryan Meister.

“You distinguished yourselves,” the ambassador added. “Your outstanding conduct alongside French forces, … your remarkable bravery in the face of danger in the combat zone, and your superb combatant qualities deserve to be commended.”

Harper, a traditional Guard member who has been on active duty most of the last decade, was joined by his parents and sisters at the ceremony. “It’s a huge honor for all of us,” he said. “They’re completely overwhelmed. We don’t normally look for this kind of recognition. I don’t think they’ve ever even been to one of my military school graduations.”

The recognition of the Guard members reflects the Guard’s contributions to the total force, Dempsey said.
“The last three award ceremonies I’ve been to happen to have been National Guard soldiers,” he said. “We’re really one Army. It’s a signal that, as we go forward in a new fiscal environment, we have to maintain faith with all three components of our Army -- active, Guard and Reserve.

“It’s a great credit to the young men and women who serve,” Dempsey continued. “I couldn’t be more proud of our Army in general -- but tonight is a night for five of these six soldiers in particular who happen to be National Guard.”

The National Guard has Special Forces soldiers in 18 states. While they train and deploy just as active duty soldiers, Guard members also must balance civilian lives and careers. There are five active duty Special Forces groups, and two in the National Guard.
“We’re in the right place at the wrong time,” quipped Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Steven Duff, deputy commander, U.S. Army Special Forces Command. “We’re everywhere. We can do whatever is necessary, and it shows that the caliber of our soldiers is just as good as anybody else.

“We are part of the operational force. Given the proper predictability in our force-generation model, we can accomplish any mission that’s given,” he added.

“It says a lot about our units and our dedication to duty and the training that we’ve undergone, as well as the maturity of our soldiers,” Harper said.

“It’s a great honor,” said Ahern, a laser physicist in his civilian career who has spent four of the last 10 years deployed or recovering from combat-related injuries.

Ahern’s parents, wife and daughter accompanied him. “They see the newspaper stories,” he said. “They hear abstract descriptions of what you’ve done. But they don’t really see it firsthand, nor do they see recognition, so this is a really good opportunity.”

A full narrative of the exact events that earned the six their awards cannot be shared for operational security reasons. But it tells of men surrounded, wildly outnumbered and pinned down for hours, who fought on despite severe injuries. It tells off lifesaving buddy aid under withering, accurate fire -- and of declining medical evacuation to stay in the fight until the last man was out safely.

None of the Green Berets mentioned any of this at the ceremony. They stepped briefly into the light to accept honors. They said almost nothing of battles fought in Afghanistan and in hospitals. They shook hands with senior leaders who had come to thank them and, by extension, all those that serve alongside them. They shared the moment with parents, wives and children who rarely get to share in what they do -- and slipped back into the night as modestly and quietly as they arrived.

“We had kind of a tough fight those last few days in Afghanistan,” Harper said. “We were just happy to be alive. We really didn’t expect this kind of honor. It’s pretty overwhelming, I’ll tell you.

“We’re very quiet in what we do,” he continued. “We don’t expect recognition. We don’t look for it. This has been a little much for us today, … but we’re happy that we could be here and that the French felt they could give us this extreme honor.”

Navy Adm. Eric Olson, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command; Army Lt. Gen. John Mulholland, commanding general of U.S. Army Special Operations Command; and Army Lt. Gen. Richard Zahner, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, also were on hand for the ceremony.

2011-06-23T10:50:00.000-04:00

Shakilla Zikeria, an interpreter for Paktya Provincial Reconstruction Team and a resident of Sacramento, Calif., receives a valor award from U.S. Air Force Maj. Timothy Dunn, Paktya PRT Intelligence officer from San Francisco, at Forward Operating Base Gardez, June 17. Zikeria is the first woman in the history of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan to receive the Military Essential Personnel Award for Valor. Zikeria is an American of Afghan descent. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Barry Loo, Paktya Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – For her bravery and composure during a hostile engagement with enemy forces, Shakilla Zikeria, an interpreter from Sacramento, Calif., working for Paktya Provincial Reconstruction Team, was the first female in the history of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan to receive the Military Essential Personnel Award for Valor at Forward Operating Base Gardez, June 17. Zikeria is an American of Afghan descent.

“I have the highest respect for Shakilla, personally as well as professionally, and she is more than deserving of this award,” said Shane Shrader, the MEP site manager.

Though assigned to the PRT, Zikeria travelled to the Dand Patan District to assist U.S. Army Spc. Felicia Hemphill of the 168th Infantry Battalion, Task Force Lethal, Bravo Company, from Emerson, Iowa, by serving as an interpreter for a women’s shura at the local district center, April 23.

According to Hemphill, insurgents attacked their convoy before they were able to reach the district center for the shura. Zikeria, a mother of three and grandmother of two, responded quickly and assisted the gunner by handing up more ammunition when requested.

“They told me ahead of time that there was a possibility we would get attacked, and not to panic,” said Zikeria. “They told me everything I needed to do if we were attacked, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Hemphill also said Zikeria helped Bravo Company communicate with the local Afghan border police unit they were partnered with for the mission.

“One of the ABP trucks was blown up, so I had her assist us in communicating with the ABP so we could get them into our trucks and out of the kill zone,” said Hemphill.

“During a lull in the fire fight, Shakilla assisted us in communicating again because the ABP had ran their truck off of the road and my truck was trying to help pull them out,” said Hemphill. “She was translating for me, and then we began to take fire again for about a minute.”

After returning to the safety of the U.S. military base in Dand Patan, Zikeria and members of Bravo Company went back out the next day to attend the women’s shura that had been rescheduled due to the hostile engagement.

“We were not able to make our meeting at the district center that day, but then she went out again with me the next day to finish our mission,” said Hemphill. “She went above and beyond what we expect our interpreters to do, and she did an excellent job of being there when we needed her, even in the presence of imminent danger.”

Hemphill said during the meeting, Zikeria used her knowledge of Afghan culture to connect with women and gather information about insurgent operations in the area.

“It was an amazing experience,” said Hemphill. “I know she was scared; so was I. But even though she was, she still helped us when most would freeze up. The infantry life is not for everyone, and she did an outstanding job holding her own through everything we asked her to do.”

LINGUISTS AND FEMALE ENGAGEMENT TEAMS IN THE WAR

2011-05-21T23:20:00.000-04:00

AFGHAN CULTURAL CENTER, Afghanistan - Members from both the U.S. and U.K. Female Engagement Teams met for training at the Afghan Cultural Center.

The purpose of the meeting was to share information, advice and experiences, as well as discuss and highlight the importance of embedding female linguists with the teams. The Marines on the U.S. FET have been in Afghanistan for nearly two months, giving them knowledge they passed onto the U.K. FET, who just recently arrived in Afghanistan.

Following the counterinsurgency tenet of supporting civilians, the Army and Marines have deployed women-focused teams to gain insight into Afghanistan’s mostly silent female population. "Female engagement teams are deployed to support battlefield operations and meet with Afghan women to gain understanding and insight into the country’s culture," said Army Col. Chadwick W. Clark, director of the Counterinsurgency Training Center-Afghanistan.

Team members are trained “to conduct female engagements in a culturally respectful manner,” Clark said. They bring to the war effort comprehensive understanding of the operational environment and contribute to civil-military operations, medical visits, and educational programs, he said

"All the females that are on these engagement teams have volunteered to do it,” Clark said. “They're taken from different specialties, and they go through varying degrees of training, depending on how they're going to be employed.” The coalition has 40 female engagement teams with at least two women per team, Clark said. Team members possess different disciplines and military specialties, he added, and they have very high morale. “I haven't talked to one woman that's on a female engagement team that isn't motivated and happy about what she’s doing,” Clark said.

Marine Corps Col. Sheila Scanlon, a U.S. adviser on gender issues and female engagement teams at the Afghan Ministry of Interior, said, "Team members must possess a variety of skills, including the ability to move, shoot and communicate while they’re out [in the field]. Yet one of the most important values the teams exhibit is cultural sensitivity. All of us try not to insult the Afghans and to try to abide by their rules,” Scanlon said.

"In addition to engaging women in Afghan communities," she said, "the teams also are used to support Afghan army and police women in hospitals in Bagram. With this in mind, leaders are just beginning to realize the various uses of the teams."

The meeting at the Afghan Cultural Center included a brief from cultural advisers on misconceptions about the Afghan culture, and ways to gain the trust of Afghan women. A question and answer period followed, with many of the Marines providing insight into their experiences and advances they have made.

Many of the points made by the teams individually were agreed on by the Marines as a whole, including the invaluable use of female interpreters.

“Our linguist is everything to us,” said a Marine with FET 4, located in Marjah. “Without her we wouldn’t get much accomplished.”

She said her linguist is especially helpful when the Marines are in the villages and the Afghan women misconstrue her team for males. The linguist is able to wear her hair in a ponytail, which makes her more accessible to Afghan women, and in turn is able to expose them to the Marines.

“It is awesome to have Marines helping Afghan women. There’s no way I could help Afghan women on my own. Without Marines, I wouldn’t be here helping.”

It is the goal of the FET to get a female linguist embedded with each team. Some teams currently operate with male linguists or none at all. Those teams spoke of the benefits they hoped to gain from working with a female linguist in the future.

“We are working on getting a female linguist so we can be able to talk to locals. Our [local] women are especially shy about talking to our male linguists. All we need is a female linguist to reach out to the other 50% of the local population.”

With the help of linguists and the support of coalition forces, to include the U.K. FETs, the U.S. FETs continue to make progress in their areas of operation around Regional Command Southwest. After the success of this meeting between the teams, both FETs plan to hold similar meetings during their next training evolution in a few months.

Portland Marine engages enemy, leads team to safety

2011-05-18T22:07:00.000-04:00

FORWARD OPERATING BASE PAYNE, Afghanistan – For much of their deployment, Marines of 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion have found an insurgent force which was reluctant to fight them toe to toe. Rather, the enemy has relied more on improvised explosive devices and indirect fire.

However, on April 20, Lance Cpl. Jesse K. Knerr, section leader for 3rd Platoon, E Company, 3rd LAR, and native of Portland, Ore., found that when insurgents have their backs against the wall they are left with no choice but to fight.

The mission of the day was to conduct a search of an area that hadn’t been explored by coalition forces, but was suspected of being a site for possible insurgent fighting positions.

When Knerr and his fire team patrolled the area, they found structures made of rock, which blended into the ridge of the mountain. This was different than the buildings they were accustomed to seeing, which were mainly mud huts.

Knerr signaled for his team to search the structures, where they found battery packs, rocket-propelled grenades, enemy propaganda and half-eaten meals that were still warm.

After radioing in the intelligence, Knerr and his fire team followed a trail outside the buildings, which led up the ridge of the mountain to a small cave with an even bigger cave about 100 meters above it.

As they walked up the ridge, the fire team found fighting positions all along the ridge. Suddenly, they began taking small-arms fire from insurgents in the bigger cave, only about a football length away from their positions.

The fire team immediately found cover. It was around 4:30 p.m. when Staff Sgt. Yobani Tejada, platoon sergeant for 3rd Platoon, received a radio call from Knerr stating that his team was engaged by enemy fire on the mountain ridge.

Tejada, who was in a Light Armored Vehicle 25 at the bottom of the mountain, told the Marines to find cover so they could provide fire from their turret and call in air support.

Knerr realized he had to come up with a plan which would get his Marines out of there safely.

Spotting an area which supplied sufficient cover, Knerr directed the Marines to suppress the enemy’s fire while each of them advanced toward the area.

After the Marines were clear, Knerr radioed back to Tejada, who had two vehicles simultaneously suppressing the enemy’s fire. The insurgents returned fire with rocket-propelled grenades, but came no closer than 100 meters of the vehicles. Air support arrived in the form of F-18s, which destroyed the enemy positions.

Afterward, Knerr was thankful that he and his fire team made it out safely.

“I knew that we all had to come together at that very moment when we were under fire and execute my plan perfectly or lives could be lost,” said Knerr. “In a situation like that, there is no room for error.”

Petty Officer 1st Class Joshua I. White, a corpsman who was with the fire team, said he and the other fire team members give credit to Tejada for preparing them for the situation.

“He’s always told us to strengthen our mind, or we’ll lose it,” said White.

In this particular battle, the strong mental awareness of Knerr and his fire team made all the difference in successfully getting the team out of a dangerous situation.

REPORT:

CODE OF CONDUCT

2011-05-18T17:31:00.000-04:00

1) I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.

2) I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender my men while they still have the means to resist.

3) If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.

4) If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me, and will back them up in every way.

5) When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am bound to give only name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies, or harmful to their cause.

6) I will never forget that I am an American fighting man, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.

2011-05-11T00:33:00.000-04:00

JOSE PAGAN AT THE ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION:

Watch live streaming video from robinhood at livestream.com

Pentagon Police Badge Commemorates 9/11

2011-05-08T17:33:00.000-04:00

It’s nearly impossible to locate a single, agreed-upon origin story for most police badges. Research will yield a number of descriptions and histories of specific badges, most of which reflect the culture and history of the department and the community it serves.

That’s certainly the case with the standard badge issued to all Pentagon Police Department officers when they join the Pentagon Force Protection Agency team. The badge features, among other things, an illustration of the Pentagon, a raised “U.S.,” and the agency’s crest.

But Pentagon Police Lt. Shane Hillard, with input from others in the department, designed a badge to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack, and Pentagon Force Protection Agency Director Steven Calvery approved it for wear.

The badge is optional for wear by all Pentagon Force Protection Agency law enforcement officers. So far, Hillard said, about 50 percent of the Pentagon Police Department’s officers have chosen to purchase and wear the badge, for which they pay about $65.

Pentagon Police Chief Richard Keevill is among those choosing to wear the badge. On Sept. 11, 2001, Keevill commanded the Virginia State Police Barracks serving the part of Northern Virginia that includes Arlington County and the Pentagon. He was on the scene at the Pentagon within minutes of the plane’s impact.

“It was my generation’s Pearl Harbor,” Keevill said. “I saw a lot of horror that day, but I also saw the best of our nation that day. This badge honors those who died and those who risked so much in the aftermath. It’s also a testament to how seriously the agency takes its mission of preventing something similar from happening again in the future.”

For Officer James Ryan, who could see the Twin Towers from where he grew up in New York and who later worked at the World Trade Center, the badge has personal significance. But he said the badge also means something special to his wife.

“When I showed her the badge, her eyes lit up,” he said. “She has family in [the New York City Fire Department]. She said it means a lot to her considering all the people she lost that day and how proud it makes the family of the position I hold.”

Sgt. Jeffrey Repass also has a personal connection to Sept. 11, 2001. He was an Air Force military policeman that day and was on an aircraft bound from Savannah, Ga. to Wisconsin when the attacks occurred. His plane was diverted to Tennessee and was delayed for a day before being allowed to return home.

“The badge represents an understanding of the significance of that date,” Repass said. “It honors those who died that day, and reaffirms what the sacrifice of those people means to this agency.”

Committee Picks Giunta to Light Warrior Games Torch

2011-05-08T17:11:00.000-04:00

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 5, 2011 – Medal of Honor recipient Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta will light the torch to start this year’s Warrior Games at the U.S. Olympic Training Center here May 16, officials of U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, announced today.

Deloitte, an international accounting and consulting firm, is sponsoring this year’s competition, which runs May 16-21 and will bring together more than 200 wounded, ill and injured service members from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and special operations forces to compete in seven sports.

"I'm really excited that I was asked to do this,” Giunta said. “It's truly an honor for me to kick off such an amazing competition with so many amazing people. All of the competitors have faced adversity in some shape or form, and the fact that they have overcome it to not only compete at this event, but live full, quality lives, is awesome."

Giunta, who has served in the U.S. Army for almost eight years and is stationed at Fort Collins, Colo., became the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, the nation’s highest military decoration for valor.

He saved the lives of members of his squad in Afghanistan on Oct. 25, 2007, exposing himself to enemy fire to pull a soldier back to cover when their platoon came under attack.

"It is a privilege to have Staff Sergeant Giunta as the torchbearer for the 2011 Warrior Games," said Scott Blackmun, CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee. "He is a true hero who is a role model not only for those taking part in this competition, but for all people in the United States."

The Warrior Games are one component of the overall U.S. Olympic Committee’s Paralympic Military Program, which is focused on providing daily physical activity as an important part of rehabilitation at the community and installation levels.

The program isn't about elite performance, officials said, but rather focuses on assisting service members with a physical disability to find enjoyment in activities that are instrumental in their rehabilitation.

In collaboration with the Defense Department, physical activity and sports participation rates at warrior transition units, wounded warrior battalions and detachments and other wounded warrior programs throughout the United States have increased by 23 percent in the past two years, U.S. Olympic Committee officials said.

"THESE THINGS WE DO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE"

2011-05-07T22:55:00.002-04:00

CAPT. ERICK SAKS REPORT:

KAPISA PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Airmen from Bagram Airfield's 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron performed a daring mountainside rescue, here, April 23, after an Army helicopter crashed in a hostile Afghan valley.

The airmen, deployed from the 33rd RQS at Kadena Air Base, Japan, and the 212th RQS at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, recovered one injured pilot and one fallen hero while often coming under heavy fire.

The mission began prior to daybreak, when the squadron's tactical operations center received a report of a Fallen Angel - the term which signifies a downed aircraft. Within 10 minutes, the Pedros of the 83rd ERQS had two HH-60s airborne and enroute to the site where a coalition helicopter was reportedly down.

Pedro 83 and Pedro 84 quickly arrived on scene, approximately 20 miles from Bagram, and held about five miles away as they linked up with the other air assets in the area, including F-15E Strike Eagles, AH-64 Apaches and OH-58D Kiowa Warriors.

"When we arrived, one of the Apaches already had eyes on the aircraft, and he lased the pilot so we could see him," said Capt. Louis Nolting, Pedro 84 co-pilot. "At this time, we had thought that the pilots were collocated and that they'd egressed together from the aircraft."

One pilot had climbed several hundred feet to a ridge above the aircraft wreckage. This ridge is where Pedro 83, the lead aircraft, used the hoist to insert its Guardian Angel team composed of Maj. Jesse Peterson, combat rescue officer; Tech. Sgt. Chris Uriarte, team leader; and Tech. Sgt. Shane Hargis, team member.

"Once lead got the PJs on the ground, we found out the pilots had split up," said Maj. Philip Bryant, Pedro 84 pilot. "The pilot who had egressed told the PJs that the other pilot was unconscious and at the crash site."

The PJs relayed the information about the second pilot still with the downed helicopter, and Pedro 84 was directed to insert their PJs near the wreckage.

Based on the information, Staff Sgt. Zachary Kline, pararescue assistant team leader, and Staff Sgt. Bill Cenna, pararescue team member, began preparing their gear for their insertion near the crash site. At about 180 feet, the hoist was significantly higher than their standard descent due to the surrounding terrain.

"It was the longest hoist I've ever been on," added Kline. "When we got on the ground, I was still under the impression that we were close to the other team, so we took a knee. We were about 50 meters from the crash site, and we didn't see the other guys so we made our way to the site."

The team approached the pilot and assessed he had died prior to their arrival. The PJs immediately began preparing the fallen hero to be hoisted out.

FIRST CONTACT

Tech. Sgt. Heath Culbertson, 83rd Expeditionary

Rescue Squadron flight engineer, shows where a

bullet entered then exited his helmet. Davis was

uninjured when he was shot in the helmet during

a mission to recover the pilots of a downed

Army helicopter.

Overhead Pedro 84's flight engineer had retrieved the hoist cable and was getting back into position when the aircraft began to take fire.

"Not more than two seconds after forward momentum was executed ... pop shots," said Staff Sgt. William Gonzalez, Pedro 84 gunner. "The first thing we start doing is checking to see where it's coming from and checking everybody out. And, maybe five seconds later the [flight engineer] says 'I'm hit.'"

In addition to manning one of the Pavehawk's .50-caliber machine guns and monitoring the aircraft's systems, the flight engineer runs the hoist on the aircraft. Tech. Sgt. James Davis, was the engineer on Pedro 84 when it was first engaged by enemy fire.

"I had just turned off the hoist, and I was sliding back into my seat when the round came through the helicopter and hit me in the leg," said Davis. "They asked 'are you alright Jim' and I said 'no I'm bleeding pretty good here.'"

Pedro 84 rejoined Pedro 83, but determined they were no longer mission capable after the injury to the flight engineer. They headed back to Bagram to get advance care for their injured flight engineer and to pick up another engineer to take Davis' place.

Gonzalez immediately moved over to provide medical care for Sergeant Davis.

"I looked back, and the first thing I saw was a pool of blood by his seat," said Gonzalez. "I went over to assess his situation. I saw that he was still conscious and saw that he was still breathing. I put his tourniquet right above the wound. After I had it on, I went over to the PJs medical kit and grabbed some gauze, and I wrapped it around the leg trying to absorb as much blood as I could."

When the Pavehawk landed at Bagram, the gunner, co-pilot and a Marine lieutenant, who saw they needed assistance, off-loaded Davis, who was brought into the Craig Joint Theater Hospital emergency room.

The flight engineer said the timing of the shot is what made the difference between a serious wound and a potentially fatal one.

"I had been in the doorway with no way of protecting myself to get the PJs on the ground," said Davis. "I got the cable up, and as soon as I slid from the doorway to the seat, the round came in. If I was still in the doorway, the round would have hit me right the in body armor or below it, and I'd have been in much worse shape."

As they cared for their injured crewmember, Pedro 84's crew also worked to find a replacement for Davis so they could get back to their PJs on the ground.

Tech. Sgt. Heath Culbertson, was sleeping at Bagram Airfield when Davis was shot, and he was woken up by frantic knocking on his door.

"They said 'get up, we need you in the TOC now,'" said Culbertson. "I asked what's going on, and they said Davis had been shot."

"When we taxied over from the [refueling point], Culbertson had just walked out and was ready to go," said Bryant. "He came, got into the aircraft, got hooked up, and we took off. The crew swap only took about four minutes."

The reality of the situation hit Culbertson as he approached the aircraft.

Brig. Gen. Darryl Roberson, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, pins a Purple Heart Medal on Tech. Sgt. James Davis, 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital, April 23. Davis was shot in the leg during a mission to recover the pilots of a downed Army helicopter.

"As soon as I got underneath the rotor, I saw the blood," he said. "It was pretty surreal. I'd seen blood before in the cabin, but never from any of our own guys. That was pretty shocking to me."

THE RIDGE

Back on the ridge above the crash site, the three-man pararescue team treated the pilot, pulled security and prepared for extraction. As team commander, Peterson coordinated with Pedro flight for pick-up and passed along information about the situation on the ground.

"My job as team member was as the medic," said Hargis. "I checked over the pilot on the ground. He was fully alert and oriented with stable vital signs, and he had a laceration on his jaw."

Overhead, Pedro 83 swept the area searching for the enemy.

"As we came around, I saw rounds come up so I returned fire," said Senior Airman Justin Tite, Pedro 83's gunner.

According to the aircrew, the enemy fire originated from a tree between the two PJ teams on the ground.

"There were no other trees on the slope except this one huge tree right in the middle between the two teams, and that's where they were hiding," said Tite.

Seeing that his teams were spit up by enemy positions, Uriarte realized they were not going to be able to walk to the PJs below.

As the enemy fire began picking up, Capt. Joshua Hallada, Pedro 83's pilot, decided that they needed to get the PJ team and pilot off the ground as soon as possible.

"So we set ourselves up to come in for a hover similar when we first infilled them although much lower," said Hallada. "Being that it was a little lighter now, we brought it into a 20-foot hover over our team and the survivor."

As the pararescuemen and the engineer worked to get the survivor into the aircraft, enemy fire increased, threatening Pedro 83.

"The team started to hook up the survivor, and that's when the pilot started to call rounds off the one o'clock," said Senior Airman Michael Price, Pedro 83 flight engineer. "Someone called the go-around at that point, and I sheared the cable to stop from dragging them through the rocks."

Price used the guillotine-type device built into the hoist to cut the cable and prevent injury to the airmen below.

"I had the strap around the survivor, and I was hooked into the cable," said Hargis. "I gave them the signal to bring up the cable, and I noticed a little more slack coming out. I thought maybe he didn't see me, so I gave him the signal again, and the next thing I know, the cable's sheared."

"At first I did not realize that he had sheared the hoist," said Hallada. "We came back around and I was setting up to go lower and further back into the rocks so that we could prevent them from hitting us to try to get them out again. On short final, I was informed that we didn't have a hoist. He had told me several times, I was just overwhelmed with other stuff."

Pedro 83 went around for yet another pass as the crew tried to figure out how to proceed.

"I determined we needed to one-wheel hover," said Hallada. "It's when you just set a wheel down on the rock next to them and hover the rest of the aircraft at the same time, allowing them just to jump on."

According to the crew, the maneuver took 10 seconds at most, with the PJs and survivor jumping onto the aircraft followed by a speedy takeoff. However, the aircraft took damage from fire they received as they lifted off.

"We went back into our overwatch patterns, realizing we'd been hit at that point," said Hallada. "And, we started trying to figure out what to do next seeing as we didn't have a hoist and we knew the lower [landing zone] was hot."

Pedro 83 stayed on scene to provide overwatch for the remaining PJs and pilot despite the damage to their aircraft; however, running low on fuel, they were relieved to hear that Pedro 84 was on its way back.

"We left for [Forward Operating Base] Morales-Frazier planning to get gas, ammo and return," said Hallada. However, once we landed the situation caused us to shutdown and evaluate further."

At Morales-Frazier, Uriarte and Hargis transferred the injured helicopter pilot to the field surgical team while Peterson ran to the tactical operations center to coordinate with the ground force commanders. Meanwhile, Price looked over the aircraft to examine the extent of the damage. Upon the first glance, the damage appeared minimal. But then, the airman checked the main transmission fluid.

"It was pretty much bone dry," said Price. "I told the captain we couldn't fly. We really didn't want to create another [personnel recovery] event out there."

The crew of Pedro 83 began working with their operations team at the TOC to get back into the fight. This entailed 1st Lt. Elliott Milliken, Pedro 83's co-pilot, coordinating a ride back to Bagram to pick up their spare aircraft.

Once at Bagram, the crew quickly loaded into the fresh Pavehawk with additional pararescuemen and a small maintenance team, and they headed back to FOB Morales-Frazier.

PEDRO LINKUP

Staff Sgt. William Gonzalez, 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron gunner, shows where a bullet impacted the side of his HH-60G Pavehawk. The airmen came under heavy fire during a mission to recover the pilots of a downed Army helicopter.

Pedro 84 arrived back on scene to find significant airpower had joined the fight to protect the pararescue team and pilot still on the ground.

"While we were away, the A-10s (Thunderbolts) had shown up," said Bryant. "We train with the A-10s to do this - combat search and rescue. When we got back out there, there were three Apaches and four A-10s operating in the area."

The enemies in the large tree continued to threaten the aircraft and ground personnel until the A-10s and Apaches engaged the target.

"The A-10s were using their nose guns and their rockets, and the Apaches were using their chain guns," said Nolting.

With the situation appearing to have settled down, Pedro 84 made an attempt to extract the PJs and remaining pilot. An Army Apache teamed up with the Pavehawk to move to the LZ.

On scene for the first time, Culbertson was able to get eyes on the crash site and the PJs. He was guiding the pilots down to the site when he began to hear what he thought may be gunfire.

"I heard whistling by my head," he said. "But, I thought to myself, 'that can't be. I've got my helmet on. There's no way I'm hearing the hisses.'"

It wasn't until Culbertson heard the impacts on the aircraft that he realized they were under fire, and he began searching for points of origin.

"Next thing I know, I get thrown on my console," said the flight engineer. "I still didn't know what was going on at that point. But from this vantage point, I could see under my gun, and I could see the muzzle flashes. I remember shaking my head to clear it, and then just a rage of fury came over me."

It wasn't until much later that Culbertson realized that a bullet had entered his helmet on the right side, through his visor and exited the other side of the helmet without injuring him.

"I called for the go around, turned the gun power switch on, and just started unleashing the .50-cal on these two points of origin," added Culbertson.

While Culbertson remembers the event in "slow motion," Gonzalez said the entire engagement was very quick.

"All of this happened within four seconds," added Gonzalez. "I hear him say 'I'm scanning, I'm scanning. There was the pop-pop-pop from the ground, then the guh-guh-guh-guh from his gun."

Nolting credits Culbertson's quick and collected response to saving the aircraft.

"Without him returning that fire, there was a chance that our right engine or hydraulics could have been shot out," Nolting added.

Running low on fuel, and with plenty of air support on scene to protect the team on the ground, Pedro 84 returned to FOB Morales-Frazier where they looked over the damage to their aircraft. It was at this point that the crew realized not only that Culbertson had been hit, but so had Gonzalez.

"I initially counted seven rounds that had impacted the cabin," said Gonzalez. "And then, I noticed the one that was under my seat. It had come from under my seat and fragged outward. One piece missed my right knee, and the other actually bounced off my knee and went through my knee pad."

Determining the aircraft was still flyable, Pedro 83 and Pedro 84 prepared to head back to the crash site together. Before departing, the pararescuemen who had come in with the spare aircraft from Bagram loaded onto the Pavehawks.

"The situation being what it was, we didn't know how long the mission was going to take," said Uriarte. "We thought it was best to switch crews so that they could do some work and we could pick it up later in the night."

THE CRASH SITE

At the crash site, Kline and Cenna assessed the situation. With Pedro 84 off scene due to Davis' gunshot wound and Pedro 83 on its way to FOB Morales-Frazier, there was little they could do but wait. They hunkered down near the aircraft and the pilot, waiting for the Pavehawks to return.

"It was at that time when we started taking fire," said Kline. "I didn't know what was going to happen at that point. We were both preparing ourselves mentally to stay there for a while."

The enemy fire was sporadic as they took cover at the base of the mountain.

"Initially, it was just a couple shots here or there," said Kline. "But then, it really started to get close. Both of us ducked and got behind a rock outcropping. I think I saw the rounds impact before I heard them."

Unable to see the muzzle flashes, Kline requested support from the aircraft above.

"I was basing all of my calls for fire off the impacts," he added. "If rounds hit here, they had to come from there. There was no other way. We were just watching where the dust flew and taking a reverse azimuth."

The team member began looking for escape routes should the conditions deteriorate further.

"To me, there was just one," said Kline. "There was this ravine. It was approximately 25 meters away."

The team eventually had to use the egress route as the enemy fire became overwhelming for the two airmen.

"We thought we were in pretty good coverage with the boulders and the helicopter," said Cenna. "But, I distinctly remember looking over at [Sergeant Kline] at multiple times seeing rounds and dirt flying right next to him. How we were not hit was pretty amazing."

"It felt like 30 rounds were all around us all within a two- to four-second period. They just hit everywhere," Kline added. "They hit the aircraft, and it went up in flames. It quickly overtook the aircraft, and I yelled at [Sergeant Cenna] to get the hell out of there. I had noticed during my initial scan of the aircraft that there was still a rocket pod with rockets in it. That was my concern; that it was going to be like the Fourth of July."

Sergeants Kline and Cenna sprinted for the ravine taking cover from the aircraft fire while dodging enemy bullets.

"That's when it started exploding," said Kline. "Even while we hunkered down, they still kept shooting at us. The rounds were ricocheting above our heads. I have molten metal on my kit from where the helicopter had exploded."

Kline kept in contact with the air assets throughout the firefight, providing situation updates and receiving information about the enemy who was closing on their position.

"They provided overwatch the whole time," said Kline. "They were like 'there are these guys 300 meters to the north of you; we're going to go hot on them.' We could feel the concussion from the rockets."

Kline also recalled seeing an Army quick reaction force being flown over their position as they waited.

"I could see guys sitting there in their seatbelts with their guns," he said. "And as they were going by, I could see a [rocket propelled grenade] whiz by. I looked up, and I could see the burst on the western mountainside."

Kline and Cenna said they would go up to 15 minutes without a shot fired on them; however, every time they would begin to signal that they were clear, the firefight would start up again.

"I'd say, 'hey, it's been clear for 15' pop-pop-pop-pop," said Kline. "It was every time I would try to tell someone it was clear, they'd pop off a couple of rounds."

While waiting in the ravine, Kline and Cenna overheard the 9 line medical evacuation request for a member for the QRF.

9 LINE

Together for the first time since Davis was shot, Pedro 83 and Pedro 84 left FOB Morales-Frazier hoping to extract the PJs and the second pilot. However, they received the 9 line before they arrived on scene.

A soldier had been hit and died within minutes of the call, said Bryant. Then as the Pedros approached the area another soldier was hit requiring immediate medical evacuation.

"When we got to the scene, there was an incredible amount of helicopter traffic in the valley," said Hallada. "It was more than I've ever seen anywhere in this entire country going all directions. There were UH-60 (Black Hawks), Apaches, Kiowas, and French helicopters."

Two Apaches joined the Pedros' Pavehawks creating a four-ship rescue formation; however, the number of enemies on the ground and the amount of firepower they wielded resulted in several unsuccessful passes over the medevac landing zone.

During the first attempt, Pedro 84 began descending into the ravine as the other three aircraft provided cover.

"As we got down to about 30 feet, [Sergeant Gonzalez] and I starting seeing muzzle flashes from this one building 200 to 300 feet from us," said Nolting.

The flight lead determined they need to pull around, and as Nolting worked to get the aircraft out of the valley, the flight engineer and the pararescuemen engaged targets in the building.

Just barely passing over some wires that were strung along the valley, Nolting was able to safely get Pedro 84 out the zone. The aircraft formed back up for another pass with Pedro 83 this time attempting to land and extract the soldier.

"As we were about to set down, we were engaged, and all of the aircraft returned fire including the Apaches," said Hallada. "As we took off, I immediately saw the wires out the windscreen, and I pulled everything the rotor system had to get over them."

On the third attempt, Pedro 84 was just feet from the ground when they started taking fire again, according Bryant. At that point, one of the Apaches performed a buttonhook back toward them and began engaging enemy targets.

"It split the formation, firing rockets and guns," said Nolting. "It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. It was deconflicted, it was safe, and it was awesome."

Based upon the threat, the formation again pulled out of the area to reset. At that point, the Apaches fired their Hellfire missiles destroying a confirmed position which had been posing the immediate threat to the aircrews and the soldiers on the ground.

On the fourth attempt, Pedro 83 was finally able to land and extract the injured soldier. The Pedros saw this as the ideal time to finally extract the second pilot and their PJs.

"There had been this tremendous weight on us the whole mission since we'd left our PJs in the zone," said Nolting. "This was our golden opportunity to get them out."

EXTRACTION

Nolting made contact with the PJs as Pedro 84 began to move into position above them. They agreed on an extraction game plan. Culbertson would lower the hoist, the PJs would first hook the pilot's litter to the line, then they would connect themselves on a second hoist. But just as the aircraft made it's decent, the engineer noticed that the hoist had broken.

"I knew that we had to get our PJs out, and this was our opportunity," said Culbertson. "The only other option I had was to go to backup mode. I said a little prayer, pushed down, and it worked."

According to the flight engineer, the problem with operating the hoist in backup mode is that the speed is significantly slower; however, they lowered the cable and the pararescuemen connected the pilot.

"That's pretty brave to send up a hero and not yourself when you been there over five hours," Nolting noted.

The lack of speed in the hoist was clearly evident to the PJs below the aircraft, according to the engineer.

"As I'm putting the hoist down there, I can see Kline down there waiving for me to go faster," said Culbertson. "I'm like, 'sorry brother, I can't go any faster. The hoist is broke.'"

"By this time, I was expecting for us to get shot down," said Nolting. "We'd been there so long. I truly expected we were going down."

For the first time that day, however, the aircraft did not take any fire, and Pedro 84 was able to extract the pilot and PJs and evacuate the area.

Kline and Cenna spent about five and a half hours in the valley dodging bullets and the explosion of the aircraft. And while he didn't know whether or not he would make it out of the area alive, Kline said he knew that he would never have left without the downed pilot.

"We were going to do everything in our power to get him back," he said. "If I had to clip in and hold him, I would have. There was no way he wasn't coming back."

Prior to departing to have his injuries treated at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, Davis expressed his pride in the actions of his squadron.

"We did what we do," said Davis. "We've got a motto for a reason, these things we do that others may live."

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I Carry You With Me

2011-03-21T23:44:00.002-04:00

Senate confirms Dempsey as Army chief of staff

2011-03-21T22:36:00.000-04:00

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey was confirmed by the Senate for assignment as the next chief of staff of the Army.

He will succeed Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who plans to retire next month after serving as the Army's chief of staff since April 10, 2007.

Dempsey is scheduled to be sworn in as chief of staff on April 11, at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va. A Change of Responsibility Ceremony is scheduled for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall's Summerall Field at 3 p.m. that day.

Dempsey is currently serving as commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Va. He has headed TRADOC since December 2008. Before that he was acting commander of U.S. Central Command, and from August 2005 to the summer of 2007, he commanded the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq.

Dempsey is a 1974 graduate of West Point, where he was commissioned an armor officer.

During testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee March 3, Dempsey answered questions about how he would serve as the next chief of staff of the Army, a position he was nominated for in January by President Barack Obama.

"I sit before you today with confidence that whatever challenges confront us in the future, your Army will respond with the same courage and resolve that has characterized it for the past 235 years," Dempsey said.

He told senators that he will work hard every day as chief of staff to earn the trust of Soldiers by ensuring they have what they need.

"I will work to match their drive, their sacrifice and their resolve," Dempsey said, "and I will partner with the Congress of the United States of America and this committee in particular, to ensure we remain worthy of the title 'America's Army.'"

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, commander of III Corps and Fort Hood, Texas, has been nominated to take over for Dempsey as commander of TRADOC.

Other confirmations by the Senate March 3 include:

- Maj. Gen. Donald M. Campbell Jr., for appointment to lieutenant general and assignment as commanding general, III Corps and Fort Hood. He most recently served as commanding general, U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Fort Knox, Ky.

- Lt. Gen. Purl K. Keen to serve as chief, Office of the Defense Representative, Pakistan. He is currently serving as deputy commander, United States Southern Command, Miami, Fla.

- Maj. Gen. Joseph L. Votel for appointment to lieutenant general and assignment as commander, Joint Special Operations Command and commander os Joint Special Operations Command Forward, Fort Bragg, N.C. He is currently serving as chief of staff, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

- Brig. Gen. Donald L. Rutherford for promotion to the rank of major general and assignment as chief of chaplains, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C. He is currently serving as deputy chief of chaplains.

DAILY RETREAT

2011-03-18T00:16:00.000-04:00

2011-03-16T10:00:00.004-04:00

A SOLEMN FAREWELL - U.S. Army soldiers with 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) carry the casket of Army
Cpl. Frank Woodruff Buckles, the last American World War I veteran, for his funeral ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, March 15, 2001. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt.
Adora Gonzalez

ARLINGTON, Va., March 15, 2011 – America recognized the end of an era today as it bade a solemn farewell to Army Cpl. Frank Woodruff Buckles, the last surviving U.S. World War I veteran, as he was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery here with full military honors.

President Barack Obama paid tribute to Buckles this afternoon as he lay in repose in the chapel beneath Arlington’s Memorial Amphitheater stage. Buckles died Feb. 27 at age 110.

CHAPEL VIEWING - U.S. Army soldiers
salute to honor Army Cpl. Frank Woodruff
Buckles, the last American World War I veteran,
during his viewing at the Memorial Amphitheater
Chapel at Arlington National Cemetery,
Arlington, Va., March 15, 2011. The soldiers
are assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment
(The Old Guard). U.S. Army photo by Staff
Sgt. Adora Gonzalez

Obama was the last of a long line of mourners who began filing past his flag-draped casket early this morning to pay their last respects to Buckles, and a whole generation of combat veterans he came to represent.

The visitors paused in quiet reflection within the stark grandeur of the white-marble chapel. Its most striking adornment is a gold-leaf “Winged Victory” figure the Chinese government presented to President Warren G. Harding when the unknown soldier of World War I was buried at Arlington on Nov. 11, 1921. Today that figure, along with a single soldier from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard,” kept a constant vigil over the last “doughboy” to serve in World War I.

As they streamed from the chapel, the mourners – a mix of families, school groups, veterans, even a Canadian air cadet group – said they were honored to be able to say a final goodbye to a generation of American heroes.

“I felt like it was my duty as an American to come here and give him my respects,” said Ray King, who took time during a family trip here from Houston to pay homage to Buckles. “It’s because of him, and those he served with, that we have the freedoms we have today.”
King’s wife, Marilyn, said she felt privileged to be able to personally honor Buckles and those who served alongside him in World War I.

A soldier with the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard,” keeps a constant vigil over the casket of Army Cpl. Frank Woodruff Buckles, the last U.S. World War I veteran, as he laid in repose before his burial today at Arlington National Cemetery. A gold-leafed “Winged Victory” figure presented to President Warren G. Harding when the unknown soldier of World War I was buried at Arlington on Nov. 11, 1921 watches over Buckles’ casket. DoD photo by Donna Miles

“What we are doing here today is a statement, and to be able to be part of it is just awesome,” she said. “We will carry this home in our hearts, and it is going to change us. I don’t think we will go back to Texas the same way.”

At 4 p.m. this afternoon, members of The Old Guard transferred Buckles’ casket to a horse-drawn caisson and made the slow, solemn trek to his final resting place.

The soldiers, too, recognized the significance of Buckles’ passing.
“What we are seeing here is history,” said Army Spc. Athiambo Onyango, who supported today’s funeral activities. “To me, this feels like the passing of an era.”

Although he’s participated in more funerals than he can count – Arlington typically conducts more than two dozen every weekday -- Onyango said he felt particularly honored to be a part of Buckles’. “I think this is probably one of the most important ceremonies I’ve been in,” he said, holding it right up with Obama’s inauguration as an experience he’ll never forget.

Army Sgt. 1st Class William Cramer, another Old Guard soldier, said he, too, felt honored to render honors to Buckles and the whole lineage of World War I doughboys he came to symbolize. “But this is not just about Mr. Buckles,” Cramer said. “It’s also about what he represents … This is the end of that lineage for that generation, a recognition of everyone who stepped forward and volunteered… and a way to thank them for their sacrifices.”

After brief remarks at Buckles’ gravesite, an Old Guard firing party fired three rifle volleys and a U.S. Army Band bugler sent the wail of “Taps” across the burial grounds. Buckles was laid to rest in Arlington’s Section 34, slightly down the hill and within view of Army Gen. John “Black Jack” Pershing’s gravesite, and site of Arlington’s World War I National Memorial that bears Pershing’s words.

“You are remembered,” it says, recognizing 116,516 Americans killed in World War I. “Their devotion, their valor and their sacrifice will live forever in the hearts of their grateful countrymen.”
Pershing commanded the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I -- the “War to End all Wars” -- that 16-year-old Buckles quit school with dreams of becoming a part of. After lying about his age to one recruiter after another, he finally hoodwinked one into enlisting him into the Army in August 1917.

The United States had entered World War I just four months earlier, and Buckles was among fewer than 422,000 soldiers at the time. But within a year, he watched the Army swell to 2.4 million, most of it serving in the American Expeditionary Force.
Buckles deployed to the Western Front, driving an ambulance in France and Germany and earning the rank of corporal before his discharge in 1920.

As he lived out his later years in West Virginia, Buckles worked tirelessly to ensure the sacrifices made during World War I never be forgotten. One of his pet projects was a campaign to refurbish a little-known memorial to World War I veterans from the District of Columbia and rededicate it as a national memorial.
In 2008, on the death of 108-year-old Harry Richard Landis, Buckles became the sole living link to more than 4.7 million Americans who served in that war.

It’s a role he embraced, visiting the Pentagon at age 107 for the unveiling of a World War I veterans’ exhibit. “Whoever views this display will, I am sure, feel a connection to Mr. Buckles and his comrades-in-arms,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during that presentation. “We will always be grateful for what they did for their country 90 years ago.”

2011-03-13T12:46:00.004-04:00

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, left, talks with Frank
Buckles, then age 107, the last known U.S. World War I
veteran, during a Pentagon ceremony March 6, 2008.
Buckles was honored during the ceremony,
which included the unveiling an exhibit of veterans' portraits
by photographer David DeJonge. DOD photo by R.D. Ward

America will pay its respects to its last World War I veteran March 15, as former Army Cpl. Frank Buckles is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Buckles -- the last of the more than 5 million Americans who served during World War I and were known as “doughboys” -- died Feb. 22 at his home in West Virginia. He was 110.

He will lie in honor at Arlington’s Memorial Amphitheater Chapel from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 15 for the public to pay its last respects. The interment will be at 4 p.m., and the corporal will be buried near the site where General of the Armies John “Black Jack” Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Force, is buried.

Buckles was born in Missouri in 1901. He enlisted in the Army in 1917, shortly after the United States declared war on Germany and its allies. He served as an ambulance driver on the Western Front.

In 1941, Buckles was in the Philippines, working in Manila, when Japan invaded the island nation. The Japanese captured him and confined him at the Los Banos prison with 2,200 other American civilians. U.S. forces liberated the camp in 1945.

President Barack Obama has ordered that U.S. flags be flown at half staff in Buckles’ honor March 15.

Two men in Great Britain are believed to be World War I’s last living veterans. Both are 110 years old.

AMIDST THE TRAGEDY AND CATASTROPHE....

2011-03-13T11:58:00.000-04:00

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI, U.S. MILITARY PROVIDES POINTS OF STABILITY AMIDST CONFUSION...

Diligence rescues six off Nicaragua coast

2011-02-27T23:18:00.003-05:00

CGC Diligence’s Cutter Boat Large (CBL) returns to the cutter after rescuing the crew of the PULCHRAS III. The CBL’s crew consisted of BM1 Andrew Kulig, BM2 Michael Clark, MK2 Brian Cox, and SN Troy Loggins.

Sometimes, a successful search and rescue case is about being in the right place at the right time. This was the case Saturday morning when Coast Guard Cutter Diligence rescued six people about 170 miles east of Nicaragua.

While on routine patrol in the Caribbean, Diligence was notified that the crew of the 40-foot Japanese sailing vessel Pulchras III was in need of assistance. The crew was transiting towards Colon, Panama, when a navigational error caused them to run aground and breach the hull in the vicinity of the Serrana Bank. As the closest rescue resource, the Diligence coordinated with the Colombian Coast Guard to perform the rescue.

The crew of the Pulchras III waving
to Coast Guard personnel after
being transferred to a Colombia
navy vessel. U.S. Coast Guard photo

Thanks to the preparedness of the Pulchras III crew, the vessel was properly equipped with an Electronic Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), which alerted the Coast Guard the vessel needed assistance. The crew also used a satellite phone to call the Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) in Tokyo. The vessel’s communications equipment as well as two life rafts and a dingy contributed to the successful rescue.

“We want to thank all of you for your hard work in saving us,” said the PULCHRAS III’s first mate. “We were all very frightened and unsure of our fate, but when we saw your vessel with the words ‘U.S. Coast Guard’ on its bow we were overjoyed and knew that we would be alright.”

“To bring the people on board and see how grateful they were to be rescued reminded me of why I joined the Coast Guard,” said Seaman William Cantrell. “When they said thank you as they were leaving I knew that all of our hard work and training had paid off and that we had just saved six lives.”

LT Connie Braesch, USCG

2011-02-13T23:55:00.005-05:00

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Army National Guard Col. Courtney P. Carr of Columbus, Ind., was promoted to the rank of brigadier general Saturday at the Indiana War Memorial in downtown Indianapolis.

Of the roughly 15,000 Indiana Guardsmen, only seven are general officers.

Indiana Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger ceremoniously “pinned” the star on Carr’s chest by order of the secretaries of the Army and Air Force and the direction of the president of the United States.

Official orders read, “The president of the United States has reposed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity and abilities of Courtney P. Carr. In view of these qualities and his demonstrated potential for increased responsibility, Courtney P. Carr is promoted to brigadier general with a date of rank of 5 February, 2011.”

Carr expressed his gratitude to his family, Soldiers and to the citizen employers who support the military.

“I owe the successes in my career to the support from all of the people around me,” said Carr. “If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t be here right now. It’s a little overwhelming.”

Indiana National Guard Adjutant
General Maj. Gen. R. Martin
Umbarger presents newly promoted
Brig. Gen. Courtney Carr with a
one-star flag representing the general
officer during his promotion ceremony
Feb. 12 at the Indiana War Memorial
in downtown Indianapolis

Carr graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. He received a master's in business administration from the University of Chicago in 1994 and graduated from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pa., in 2003 with a Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies. His other military schools include the Armor Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, Infantry Pre-Command Course, and U.S. Army Airborne and Ranger Schools.

Carr received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1983. His first assignments were with 1st Battalion, 13th Armor, 1st Armored Division in Germany where he served as a tank platoon leader, a scout platoon leader and a tank company executive officer. Carr then served as a battalion adjutant and commanded a tank company with 1st Battalion, 77th Armor, 4th Infantry Division in Fort Carson, Colo.

Indiana National Guard Adjutant General
Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger and Beth
Carr, wife of Col. Courtney Carr, pin one
star rank insignia to his shoulders
promoting him to brigadier general during
a ceremony Feb. 12 at the Indiana
War Memorial in downtown Indianapolis

Carr transitioned to the Indiana Army National Guard in 1991 where he served in many positions in and out of the 76th Infantry Brigade. His assignments included the 38th Infantry Division operations officer, the 2nd Battalion, 152nd Infantry Regiment operations officer, and the 2nd Battalion, 293rd Infantry Regiment executive officer.

Carr joined the 76th Brigade as the civil military officer during the unit’s rotation through the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.

Carr was then assigned as the battalion commander of 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment, in New Albany, Ind. Carr deployed to Bosnia with the battalion in support of Stabilization Force 11 in 2002. This was the first battalion-sized deployment of Indiana Army National Guard soldiers after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Upon return from Bosnia, he was assigned as the operations officer for the 38th Infantry Division. His next assignment was to the Indiana Military Academy as the commander, 138th Regiment.

The Indiana Ceremonial Unit Color Guard carries
the nation's colors during the promotion
ceremony of Columbus, Ind., native Col.
Courtney Carr to the rank of brigadier general
Feb. 12 at the Indiana War Memorial in
downtown Indianapolis.

Upon leaving the 138th, Carr was assigned as the deputy commander of the 76th Infantry Brigade and eventually commander. He led the brigade to the largest deployment of Indiana Soldiers since World War II, conducting counter-insurgency operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In civilian life, Carr works with Milestone Contractors.

Newly promoted Brig. Gen. Courtney Carr
exchanges a congratulatory hug at his promotion
ceremony Feb. 12 at the Indiana War
Memorial in downtown Indianapolis.

His many awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, the NATO medal, three Army Achievement Medals, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Indiana Distinguished Service Medal, the Indiana Commendation Medal, the Ranger Tab and the Parachutist Badge.

Carr is slated to assume command of the Indiana Guard’s 81st Troop Command in Indianapolis. The 81st is the Indiana’s premier reactionary command force, set into place to take command and control over state military assets in the event of state emergencies or disaster.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SGT. JOHN CROSBY

Indiana National Guard Brig. Gen.
Courtney Carr and his wife Beth
accept congratulations from a Soldier
at Carr's promotion ceremony Feb.
12 at the Indiana War Memorial in
downtown Indianapolis.

MOTHER AND SON

2011-02-13T20:38:00.003-05:00

By Navy Chief Petty Officer Terrina Weatherspoon

It was 4 a.m. when she settled in to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Green Bay Packers. Technically, it was Super Bowl Monday for her.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Crystal Hoel, an intelligence analyst for the 3rd Naval Construction Regiment, is a native of Mechanicsburg, Pa. The timing of live television programs often makes them impossible to watch while she’s deployed, but this was an event she was not going to miss.

The military had made the reservist miss several things over the years, but she wasn’t about to miss this. As she sat in Afghanistan, soda in hand and surrounded by co-workers, she had a very special guest by her side: her son.

Attached to the naval air facility in Washington, D.C., Hoel had been deployed for months when she got word that her son, Marine Corps Cpl. Adam Hoel, attached to the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Kunia, Hawaii, would be joining her here.

“Mom was already in Afghanistan when I got my orders, and I was very excited when I found out I was going to the same base,” Adam said. “When you’re in the military, it’s hard to see your family, and it was really good to know I would be close to her.”

The corporal’s mother recalled his arrival.

“I cried when I first saw Adam,” she said. “Our first meeting was at one of the dining facilities on base at about 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. It was the first time I had seen him since leaving my home in early June to deploy. What a great New Year’s gift!”

Although this is Adam’s first deployment, it is his mother’s second. “Of course she has been giving me advice,” said Adam, who graduated from Mechanicsburg Area High School in 2008. “No way could she resist doing that.”

Crystal said that was only natural.

“My mothering instincts are to want to protect and keep him safe,” she said. “Make sure he understands his job, hope he likes his job, make sure he is taking time out for himself, and has his room set up so he is comfortable there. But at the same time, he is a grown man and a Marine, so I have to stifle that.”

Marine Corps Cpl. Adam Hoel, left, and
his mother, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class
Crystal Hoel, are deployed together
overseas. U.S. Navy photo by Chief
Petty Officer Terrina Weatherspoon

Adam joined the Marine Corps delayed entry program in June 2007, when he was 17. He left for boot camp July 13, 2008. He was destined to join the Corps, he said. After all, his father was a Marine, and so was his mother, before a break in service and a path that eventually led her back in, only this time in the Navy, when Adam was in 10th grade.

“I was happy for her, but also a little nervous, of course,” he said. “But I supported her decision, because I just wanted her to be happy in what she was doing. I will continue to support her, but I will tell you that Christmas sucks when she is not there with us.”

Crystal’s service in the Marine Corps and then continued service years later in the Navy played an important role in Adam’s decision to the join the Marines. “Adam has wanted to be a Marine since he was a little boy, so a deployment to a kinetic area was an inevitable part of his future,” she said. “I know that and support him fully, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Her son said the example his parents set made an early impression on him.

“I always knew I would want to defend my parents just like they did for others when I was younger,” he said. “I also joined because I love my country and wanted to give something back. I knew the Marines would take care of me and make me into a better man.”

Now that the two are stationed here together -- albeit for a short period of time, since Crystal is due to go home soon, they try to see each other as often as possible. “We try to meet for chow every other night, but I do not want him to feel obligated to visit me or hang out with me,” Crystal said. “We both have jobs that require mental focus and a lot of our personal time.”

Adam said he feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to share part of his deployment with his mother. “I have told my friends that my mom is here, and they think it is pretty cool,” he said. “Most of them couldn’t see their mom here, or in the military at all, for that matter. It is even harder for them to believe the odds of us getting stationed here at the same time.”

The Marine’s mother said she is ready to go home, but the trip will now be bittersweet. “It will be tough to leave him here,” she acknowledged. “I know I will cry the last time I see him, just like I did the first time I saw him. Hopefully, the four months he has left will go fast for both of us.”

Her son said having his mother here has helped him to keep his mind at ease.

“I feel better being here with her and knowing where she is and what she’s doing,” he said. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to her, and I’m glad she’s heading home. She deserves to. I’ll just look forward to the next time I see her, which will be in a few months when she greets me at the airport –- this time on American soil –- and we will both be happier about that.”

WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT Outraged At White House Failure To Honor Commitment To Military Families In Need

2011-02-09T13:03:00.003-05:00

Washington, D.C. (February 9, 2011) – "Despite the recent White House announcement of a government-wide effort to support military families, the Obama Administration has failed to meet an important deadline to provide comprehensive support for the thousands of American families caring for severely wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, according to Steve Nardizzi, Executive Director of Wounded Warrior.

"As a result, these families continue to struggle with escalating financial, emotional and health issues – even though Congress has taken action to ease their burden," Nardizzi said.

In May of 2010, President Obama signed into law the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act, which directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide comprehensive support services to family caregivers of severely wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The law established a deadline – January 31, 2011.

"And yet the deadline came and passed, without a hint of action from the VA. And now, help appears to be almost a year away. The VA continues to face unexplained and unacceptable bureaucratic delays while families of our nation’s most severely injured service members continue to wait and suffer," said Nardizzi.

“Our government made a promise to the dedicated families caring for our nation’s most severely wounded women and men in uniform – and that promise has not been fulfilled,” he said. “We are outraged and distressed that this missed deadline comes just days after the White House announced a new initiative to strengthen military families.”

“If bureaucracy and red tape are delaying help for the families of these brave men and women, that’s inexcusable,” Nardizzi said. “If the program is facing budget cuts, that’s even worse. We cannot, and in good conscience, should not balance the budget on the backs of those whom we’ve asked to sacrifice so much for our country.”

Nardizzi said that every day, family members of injured service members are making great personal sacrifices to provide daily care to their loved ones, often giving up careers and putting their own lives on hold to be long-term, full-time caregivers.

“These caregivers have suffered physically, emotionally, psychologically and financially – many for years. Every day these families are made to wait is a day too long. Until this law is fully implemented and families begin seeing the comprehensive benefits they were promised, Wounded Warrior Project will hold President Obama accountable for the failure to honor his commitment to these military families.”

Under the new law, the VA is responsible for providing family caregivers of the most severely injured veterans with help in meeting some of their own basic needs – including training and technical support, respite care, counseling, health coverage, and modest financial support.

On December 8, 2010 President Obama approved the report “Strengthening Our Military Families: Meeting America’s Commitment” and held a press conference last week, declaring his support and the support of his entire Cabinet for specific measures to “enhance the well-being and psychological health of the military family.”

"Wounded Warrior Project is calling on the White House to cut the red tape, stand by their word and ensure these families will begin receiving the support services they so desperately need and deserve," Nardizzi stated. "We urge concerned Americans to take action.”

Nardizzi is urging that On Monday, February 14th you join in an outreach movement to send a message to the White House: "Tweet your demand for support for wounded warriors. Paste the following message into Twitter: @whitehouse: Time is up, President Obama. Support family caregivers of wounded warriors now. http://tiny.cc/6vmjv #MilitaryMonday," urged Nardizzi.

"Donate your Facebook status to the effort for the day with our message or become a fan of our page and follow the updates on the issue. http://facebook.com/wwpinc.fans Contact the White House at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact and share your outrage at the lack of support for our nation’s heroes and their families. Visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org for additional ways to get involved and show your support."

Special Forces Soldier earns Soldier's Medal

2011-02-09T01:19:00.001-05:00

Story and photo by Jeff Melvin

Like many Special Operations Forces Soldiers, Sgt. 1st Class Michael Z. Clayton shuns the limelight, preferring to toil relentlessly at his job and pursue excellence, not recognition; he tries to live the SOF motto “The Quiet Professional,” and stay under the radar. Occasionally, however, Clayton somehow finds himself in the limelight.

During the course of a 12-year career that has already seen him earn three Bronze Star Medals, three Army Commendation Medals as well as an ARCOM with Valor, Clayton has once again found himself directly in the limelight and received our nation's highest decoration for heroism in a non-combat related action, the Soldier’s Medal, presented at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Clayton, the J6 noncommissioned officer in charge for Joint Task Force Sword at Fort Bragg, was recognized for his efforts to recover the bodies of four Haitian schoolchildren trapped in the rubble of a school that collapsed during a landslide in Cap Haitien, Haiti, Feb. 15, 2010. At the time of the incident, Clayton was deployed with JTF SWORD in support of Special Operations Command-South in Operation Unified Response.

Adm. Eric T. Olson, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, pinned the medal on the Clayton's chest during a visit to Fort Bragg. The Fort Bragg-based JTF Sword is the USSOCOM commander's deployable command and control element. On hand to witness the ceremony were Clayton's wife and parents, Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland Jr., commander, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, as well as other JTF SWORD members who watched from Stuttgart, Germany, via secure video teleconference.

An excerpt from Clayton’s Soldier’s Medal citation reads: "… Throughout the four-hour operation, conducted in high heat and cramped conditions inside the school, all the while dirt and rocks continued to fall from the hillside, with complete disregard for his own personal safety, SFC Clayton placed himself in the hazard zone and rotated with other U.S. military personnel to dig out the children who had been buried in the mud and rocks of the landslide. SFC Clayton remained at work digging for the children even after a second landslide occurred, which buried one of the children, and caused many of the local firemen to refuse to continue to work due to the continued danger of another landslide…"

Recounting the circumstances that led to his award, Clayton said he was at the airfield monitoring customs processing of humanitarian aid shipments when a call came in about the landslide, so he went without hesitation to investigate.

Haitian fire department responders, local civilians, a few U.S. Marines and a few civil affairs Soldiers from the Special Operations Task Force were already on scene when he arrived. The group was so excited when the first child was extracted that most followed the rescue workers to the treatment area where they took the child, leaving Clayton and a Marine to continue the rescue efforts on their own.

He started removing debris; trying to dig out another child, all the while trying to avoid debris in response to warnings shouted out by bystanders in Creole, a language he barely understood. Clayton had the child nearly uncovered except for the child's feet.

"I thought I saw him breathing, so I stepped up the pace,” he said. “After I got him out, I realized he was dead. I was devastated.”

That effort alone had taken nearly one and a half hours; Clayton was exhausted, so he went outside and helped with crowd control and security.

The sight of the dead child hit close to home, Clayton said, because he is a father of four children.

The veteran of multiple combat deployments, gunfights, and buddies lost, said, “none of that holds a candle to the loss of innocent children."

Devastated, but not deterred, the rescuers continued to dig.

"We wanted to get the children out alive,” he said. “Everyone held out hope."

He cited the example of some 9/11 survivors who were uncovered several days later.

His subsequent recognition is bittersweet. Cognizant of the magnitude of the award and grateful that his superiors thought highly enough of him to seek recognition, he is still not quite sure what to make of the award.

"If the children were alive and well, I'd be dancing on the table."

There is no such ambivalence about the award from his wife, Megan, and his parents, Rick and Linda Spargur of Brandywine, Md.

Megan said she did not grow up in a military environment, so she did not initially grasp the magnitude of the Soldier's Medal. Nevertheless, she said she was very proud and grateful for the acclaim her husband is receiving.

"We find reasons to be proud of ourselves in our family and personal lives; but it's awesome to receive a tangible acknowledgement of his actions," she said.

Clayton’s parents were equally proud.

"We're very proud of him. In fact, we would have been surprised if he didn't get something like this eventually," said Rick Spargur. "He's a topnotch guy. He's always thinking of others before himself."

Linda Spagur choked back tears as she said how her father, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Bryson, was a role model for Clayton, and although he could not be there that day, he was very proud of his grandson.

Despite receiving the prestigious medal, Clayton is still a “Quiet Professional” and tries to stay out of the limelight.

"I just want to reflect in a positive light for the Special Forces Regiment," he said.

VETS FOR FREEDOM DIRECTOR DEPLOYS TO AFGHANISTAN

2011-01-04T15:41:00.001-05:00

PETE HEGSPETH: EXEC DIR.
VETS FOR FREEDOM

Pete Hegspeth, Executive Director of the organizaion, Vets for Freedom, a nonpartisan organization established by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is deploying to Afghanistan.

"I will soon go on active duty in preparation for a combat deployment to Afghanistan later this year. It will be an honor to serve overseas again. As a result, later this month I will step down as executive director of VFF and Wade Zirkle--our organization's founder--will be the interim executive director," said Hegspeth

The VFF aims to "educate the American public about the importance of achieving success in these conflicts by applying our first-hand knowledge to issues of American strategy and tactics in Iraq and Afghanistan."

VFF "supports policymakers from both sides of the aisle who have stood behind our great generation of American warriors on the battlefield, and who have put long-term national security before short-term partisan political gain."

WADE ZIRKLE INTERIM
DIRVETS FOR FREEDOM

Vets for Freedom states that it is the largest pro-victory Iraq and Afghanistan veterans organization in America. The organization also heralds its Political Action Committee whose mission is to help candidates-mostly combat veterans-who believe in achieving success in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the overall War on Terrorism, get elected to the United States Congress and other Federal positions.

Hegspeth has been Executive Director of the veterans' organization for three years, and said to VFF members, "...I'm very proud of what we've accomplished together. Most recently, VFF helped send 6 pro-victory Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to Congress--our new voices in Washington..."

Established by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan beginning on November 11, 2007, Veterans Day, VFFPAC endorsed and offered extended support through financial contributions and media assistance to Republicans, Democrats, and Independents that support victory in the Global War on Terrorism. "...Bottom Line: VFFPAC will support those who support victory - that is our only litmus test..."

Hegspeth told his organization members, "While in Afghanistan, and as the mission permits, I plan to send email updates from the front. 2011 will be a critical year for our effort in Afghanistan, and I look forward to joining the long line of warriors who have fought to forge success on this important battlefield.

SUBSCRIBE TO PETE HEGSPETH UPDATES FROM AFGHANISTAN: HERE

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ROBERT GATES THANKS TROOPS:

2010-11-28T17:20:00.000-05:00

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
ROBERT GATES

"...During this upcoming season of joy, thanksgiving, and celebration, I want to extend my warmest greetings, deep thanks, and best wishes, to the brave men and women of the United States military, and to their families.

I know the holiday season is especially difficult for those service members who are unable to spend it with their loved ones. These troops sacrifice their holidays, so that fellow Americans can safely enjoy theirs. In doing so, they are part of a tradition that dates back to our nation’s founding.

On Christmas Night, December 25, 1776, General George Washington and his band of 2,400 men crossed the icy Delaware River, won victories against British and German troops, and stirred new hope into the struggle for freedom and liberty.

Nearly one year after that famed crossing, the Continental Congress celebrated the hard-fought victory of our troops at Saratoga, New York, by proclaiming the first ever national day of Thanksgiving.

Today, more than two hundred years later, thanks to the efforts and toughness of the men and women of the U.S. military, the cause of freedom and liberty endures. And though nothing can extinguish the pain of being away from family during this time, our troops can find comfort in knowing that the American people are forever indebted to them and grateful for their selflessness and commitment to America’s security.

To the troops who watch over our nation: I thank you for your service, and I pray for your safe return home. To the families who share their loved ones to defend our great nation: I thank you for your sacrifices and support.

May God forever protect and bless you, your families, and our nation..."

GIUNTA: IN HIS OWN WORDS

2010-11-21T20:35:00.002-05:00

On Oct. 25, 2007, Spc. Giunta’s platoon was conducting a movement to contact to interdict enemy forces on the Gatigal Spur, in order to provide over watch for 2nd and 3rd platoon’s exfil back to Combat Outpost Vimot, and the Korengal Outpost. While conducting their exfil from the platoon’s blocking position, Spc. Giunta’s platoon was ambushed by 10 to 15 enemy personnel who utilized an “L” shaped, near ambush that was within 10 meters of the platoon’s main body. The enemy fired 10 Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and three PKMs (machine guns) from the apex of the ambush and additional AK-47s from throughout the ambush line.
The enemy initiated the contact with an RPG and a burst of PKM (fire), which immediately hit and wounded two members of the lead team, Sgt. Brennan and Spc. Eckrode. Another RPG in the initial volley hit extremely close to Spc. Giunta’s position. While Staff Sgt. Gallardo moved back to his Bravo Team to get situation reports, Spc. Giunta provided covering fire by leading his team in suppressing enemy positions, assigning sectors of fire and commanding his M-203 gunner to engage close targets. While advancing toward Spc. Giunta’s team, Staff Sgt. Gallardo was struck in the helmet by an AK-47 round, which caused him to fall to the ground. Despite being under heavy fire by PKM, RPG, and small arms, Spc. Giunta immediately left his covered position in order to render aid to his squad leader. As he moved to provide assistance, Spc. Giunta was struck by two bullets; one of which impacted his chest area but was stopped by his Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert (E-SAPI) plate, and one round which impacted the Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon-D (SMAW-D) rocket he was carrying across his back. Without hesitation, Spc. Giunta recovered from the impacts and ensured his squad leader was not injured. He then began bounding his team forward in an attempt to maneuver on the enemy.
Spc. Giunta and his fire team were quickly pinned down by effective enemy machine gun and small arms fire from multiple positions at close range. Spc. Giunta, along with Pfc. Clary and Staff Sgt. Gallardo, quickly prepared fragmentation grenades and continued the assault by throwing two volleys of them at enemy positions that were approximately 15 meters to their west. They then assaulted forward through those positions, secured Spc. Eckrode, and began treating his wounds. Realizing that Sgt. Brennan was missing, Pfc. Clary and Spc. Giunta continued to push forward along the enemy’s ex-filtration route, despite taking small arms fire from enemy personnel who were attempting to cover their withdrawal. Moving in the lead and rapidly closing with the enemy, despite receiving effective fire, Spc. Giunta overtook two enemy combatants attempting to drag off Sgt. Brennan, who had been incapacitated by his wounds. Spc. Giunta engaged one enemy combatant at close range and killed him, which cause the other enemy combatant to drop Sgt. Brennan and flee. Spc. Giunta then began immediate first aid on Sgt. Brennan, and also helped his squad leader to adjust security, further consolidate casualties, and prepare for Medical Evacuation operations.
Spc. Giunta’s selfless actions and personal courage were the decisive factors in changing the tide of the battle, ensuring that Sgt. Brennan was not captured by the enemy, and preventing the lead fire team from being destroyed by the enemy’s near ambush. Despite bullets impacting on and around himself, Spc. Giunta fearlessly advanced on the enemy and provided aid to his fallen comrades. His actions saved the lives of multiple paratroopers and changed the course of the battle in his platoon’s favor.
For exceptionally valorous actions during Operation Enduring Freedom VIII while assigned as a rifle team leader in Battle Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry. Spc. Giunta’s unwavering courage, aggressiveness, selfless service, and leadership while under extreme enemy fire were decisive in his platoon achieving fire superiority, defeating an enemy near ambush, and preventing the capture of a fellow paratrooper by the enemy. His actions reflect great credit upon himself, the Rock Battalion, the Bayonet Brigade Combat Team, Combined Joint Task Force-82, and the United States Army.

GIUNTA

2010-11-18T20:39:00.001-05:00

The Sal Giunta Story from SebastianJunger/TimHetherington on Vimeo.

IN THE LINE OF DUTY

2010-11-12T20:17:00.002-05:00

WE DON'T BACK DOWN

2010-11-12T19:44:00.000-05:00

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

2010-11-12T19:40:00.002-05:00

DUTY HONOR VALOR

2010-11-12T19:28:00.002-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES

2010-11-09T23:53:00.001-05:00

2010-11-05T14:22:00.005-04:00

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Duty with Joint Task Force Guantanamo is one of the most demanding assignments in the military, but task force members recognize its importance and strategic implications for the United States and its troops in harm’s way, their commander said.

Navy Cmdr. William Johnson, Navy Expeditionary Guard Battalion
commanding officer at Joint Task Force Guantanamo in Cuba,
speaks with Army Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, right,
during a tour of the detention facility’s Camp 6, Oct. 29, 2010.
Stultz visited Johnson for updates on the task force’s day-to-day
operations and to express his appreciation to troops serving there.
U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Elisha Dawkins

The 2,000 men and women serving here – a mix of servicemembers, government employees and civilian contractors – recognize the importance of their job providing “safe, humane, legal and transparent” care for 174 detainees at the facility, Navy Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harbeson told the Army Reserve chief, Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, who visited here last week.

Soldiers and sailors of the Joint Detention Group posted as guards at the base’s nine camps make up more than half of the task force. They typically pull 15- to 16-hour work days six days a week, performing a mission that Harbeson said demands extraordinary self-control and discipline in the face of verbal insults, flying body fluids and other assaults from detainees.

“This is the most challenging job in the military today, by virtue of what these individuals have to endure and experience,” he said.
“You have to have iron discipline,” agreed Army Col. Donnie Thomas, the Joint Detection Group commander. “We know we have actors here who are still in the fight, … and they try to incite the guard force. It’s incredible to see the professionalism [the guards] demonstrate, and how they treat these detainees with dignity and respect.”

A soldier stands guard in a tower at Camp Delta, Joint Task Force

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Dec. 31, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc.

Cody Black

Thanks to new measures at the facility, assaults on the guards have dropped dramatically during the past year, Harbeson reported.
In January 2009, one-third of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay lived in communal settings, spending 20 hours each day outside their cells with free access to recreation equipment, TV, radio, library books and a food pantry. Today, 89 percent of the detainees live communally, and officials here are considering converting a wing in the maximum-security Camp 5 to allow even more.

Meanwhile, assaults on the guard force plummeted, from 1,100 in 2009 to 110 so far in 2010. “We attribute that to the communal environment, with less actual guard-detainee interaction” because most detainees no longer need to be escorted to showers and recreational facilities, Harbeson explained. “That has minimized the source of friction between guard and detainees. … So it’s been a win-win all around.”

Army Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, talks
with his troops serving with Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay
during an Oct. 29, 2010, visit. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer
2nd Class Elisha Dawkins

Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Calkins, a noncommissioned officer at Guantanamo Bay’s Camp 5, said he’s seen huge changes since he left from his previous tour here in April 2008.
“The detainees have calmed down a lot,” he said. “We had people getting ‘splashed’ every day. It happened all the time.”

Now, there’s a big incentive for detainees to resist such behavior, which can get them transferred from the communal “ultra-light” facility at Camp 6 to Camp 5 – the task force’s version of “time out.” Instead of getting 20 hours each day outside their cells at Camp 6, detainees at Camp 5 get just four.

“Typically, when they come to us, they want to get back to Camp 6,” Calkins said. “So they will cause all these problems over [at Camp 6], and when they come to me, they’ll get really, really quiet. They don’t want to stay here.”

A detainee learns typing skills during a life-skills class at Camp 6,

Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Cuba, Oct. 20, 2010. The class,

designed to provide detainees educational tools, is among offerings

Navy Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harbeson, the task force commander, said

help to reduce incidents of assault. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer

2nd Class Elisha Dawkins

While Calkins and his fellow Army guards at Camp 5 are trained correctional specialists, their Navy counterparts at Camp 6 come from a variety of backgrounds -- – aircraft mechanics, logisticians and some masters at arms, explained Navy Ensign Paul Fogel, the camp’s assistant officer in charge. All received four weeks of specialized training at Fort Bliss, Texas, before reporting to Guantanamo.
Navy Lt. Sean McMichael, the Camp 6 commander, said he’s impressed by how well his sailors have made the transformation after volunteering for duty at Guantanamo Bay, or in some cases, he said, being “volun-told.”

“It’s dynamic,” McMichael said. “The guards have to remember what we’re here for and maintain their vigilance at all times. … They have to maintain their cool, even when you’re spit in the face.”
Pulling duty in this environment requires a unique way of thinking about the detainees, he said. “You have to have a mindset that these are residents,” he explained. “If you think of them as terrorists and go with that mindset, you can’t be fair and firm and impartial. And that’s the stand we take as we conduct all our operations here.”

Detainees converse inside a communal area of Camp 6 at
Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Cuba, Oct. 20, 2010. Navy
Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harbeson, the task force commander,
cites a correlation between more communal living for
detainees and lower assault rates on guards. U.S. Navy
photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Elisha Dawkins

Calkins, who has experienced the insult of being “splashed” himself, marvels at his young soldiers’ self-restraint. “These soldiers are amazing,” he said. “They get splashed. They get called every name in the book, … and they go wash themselves off and come back for more.”

Armed with nothing but pepper spray and strict rules about when they can use it, the guards learn to use other tools to get detainees to cooperate.

“It’s not like in [the combat] theater, where you have a weapon,” said Calkins. “Here, your weapon is your ability to talk to people. If you can talk to the detainees, you can make them realize that, ‘Hey, I am here to do a job and that is all. This is nothing personal.’”

Guards say their biggest frustration here isn’t the occasional mistreatment they get from detainees; it’s what they view as widely held misconceptions about how they treat the detainees.

A detainee is escorted to the detainee hospital at Joint Task
Force Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for care by the joint medical
group that provides medical care to detainees, Oct. 28, 2010.
U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Elisha Dawkins

Detainees select their three meals each day from six different menus, have access to 24/7 medical care and are issued prayer rugs, Qurans and other religious articles to practice their faith. They also get access to newspapers in a variety of languages, as well as 18 satellite channels, 11 radio channels, a full library of materials, and classes in subjects including the popular new keyboard computer class.

“When people ask me why we’re offering computer classes to detainees, I tell them, ‘We want the detainees to focus on this, not on how to ‘splash’ the next guard,” Harbeson said.
But no matter how well they do their jobs, Navy Capt. Sharon Campbell, the task force’s chief of staff, acknowledged the reality of serving in what many here consider a highly underappreciated mission.

“We are doing an important job, detaining enemy belligerents brought here from the battlefield, and providing safe, humane and transparent care for them as the legal process is worked,” she said. “But there are no accolades here, so we have to concentrate on keeping people pumped up. We really have to work to keep each other motivated.”
Meanwhile, the task force members recognize that their every action here is eyed through what sometimes feels like a microscope, and counts in how the world sees them personally, the U.S. military and the United States.

A sailor assigned to the Navy Expeditionary Guard Battalion
at Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay stands watch over a cell
block in the detention facility’s Camp 6 while detainees look
through magazines and books, March 30, 2010. U.S. Navy
photo by Joshua Nistas

“It’s a very politically charged mission in the sense that if we don’t do it right it negatively reflects on the government and the country,” Fogel said. “Every reaction you make or every action you don’t take could potentially be something that could really be a not-so-good thing.

“That’s a lot to put on the shoulders of 19- to 25-year-olds,” he said. “But their actions really do project what and how we are looked upon by the world.”

Another motivating force, Calkins said, is the recognition that how the mission is conducted here has a direct impact on troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. He still grimaces when he thinks about the repercussions from detainee mistreatment at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison.

“What we do definitely can have an impact,” he said. “Soldiers are still getting hurt [as a result of what happened at Abu Ghraib.]”
Calkins said he regularly reminds his soldiers that they stand squarely on a front line in the war on violent extremism.

“I tell my soldiers that everybody has their piece, whatever that piece may be – whether you are in the States, whether you are in Afghanistan, whether you are in Iraq, or whether you are here at Gitmo,” he said. “And I feel that our piece is vital.

“Anything that these soldiers do or don’t do can have an effect on what happens to our soldiers” serving in the combat theater,” he added.

from Soldier's Angels

2010-11-04T11:14:00.000-04:00

SOLDIER'S ANGELS PROJECT VALOUR-IT

GET WELL SOON!

2010-10-30T22:26:00.002-04:00

Halloween Opens Doors to Community

2010-10-30T20:46:00.000-04:00

Halloween Opens Doors to Community

By Elaine Wilson

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2010 – I went for a long walk the other night and found my new neighborhood had been transformed into an otherworldly lair. Ghosts hovered from branches and skeletons from rooftops. Toothless pumpkins, faces frozen in eerie smirks, leered at me from nearly every porch as I passed by. But rather than feel the onset of fear, I felt a sense of satisfaction. I've got a sneaking suspicion I moved into my new neighborhood just in the nick of time.

I moved to Maryland about a month ago, a journey I've been blogging about over the past several months, detailing my challenges with everything from house hunting ("Blogger Gears Up for Move") to picking the right school for my kids ("Blogger Heads Out to House Hunt"). But now it's time for the final stage of my move: meeting the neighbors.

In my last community, I must admit I didn't spend much time on social endeavors. I had a newborn, two elementary-age children and a husband to balance with work, which kept me busy. But people didn't seem to gather for street-side chats each evening there, something I sorely miss from my military days.
I remember gathering in my cul-de-sac in Turkey with other military families just about every evening, watching the kids from folding chairs on the sidewalk until it grew too dark to see each other.
I'm always amazed at how military families create such strong bonds and a sense of community in such a short time, and while juggling very difficult demands. They are always willing to pitch in to help another military family in need, whether it’s with child care, a last-minute ride home or just a shoulder to cry on. I know I was the recipient of much of that support when I was a single mom on active duty.
Military families have an amazing gift of empathy and adaptability. And I hope I can put some of those social skills to work here, since I plan to establish roots and settle in for the long haul.
Hence the walk. I not only wanted to get the lay of the land, but also to see if I could meet and greet some neighbors. I ended up seeing more creepy crawlers and spider webs than humans, but Halloween is just a few days away.

As I escort my bear cub, woodland fairy and Darth Vader down the street this weekend, I hope to make some connections that will last over the long term. The holiday, after all, is the perfect excuse to knock every neighbor's door. I'm looking at the holiday this year as a chance to gather new acquaintances, as much as an opportunity to score some candy from my kids.
I may meet a few ghosts and goblins along the way -- and, I'm sure, a few Lady Gagas and Justin Biebers this year– but I also hope to meet a few great people.

Happy Halloween!

DUTY HONOR VALOR

2010-10-25T22:37:00.001-04:00

DUTY HONOR VALOR

2010-10-17T16:33:00.000-04:00

Rear Adm. (SEAL) Garry Bonelli, Naval Special Warfare Command Deputy, presents the American flag that draped the coffin of Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) 2nd Class Adam Smith to the family. Smith was one of nine service members killed when the helicopter in which they were traveling crashed in Zabul Province in Southern Afghanistan, Sept. 21. (U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Robert J. Fluegel

MACON, Mo. (NNS) -- A Navy SEAL was laid to rest Oct. 2, after being honored by thousands of people during a ceremony and funeral procession in his hometown of Macon, Mo.

Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Adam Smith died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan along with one Navy support technician, two other Navy SEALs, and five Army aircrew members Sept. 21.

Hundreds of people packed the First Baptist Church during a funeral service for the fallen SEAL, where Smith was remembered as a hometown hero.

"Adam was a courageous warrior with an unflappable attitude who earned the respect and admiration of his teammates and fellow citizens alike, and he took great pride and passion in being a Navy SEAL," said Capt. Tim Szymanski, commander of Naval Special Warfare Group TWO.

Szymanski also thanked the Macon community for rallying around the Smith family during a time of need, and for their hospitality toward visiting service members who were present for the memorial events.

After the service, the citizens of Macon came out by the thousands to pay their last respects to Smith as his funeral procession made its way through the town.

During the burial ceremony, the national ensign was folded by a team of fellow SEALs and given to Smith's parents, followed by a gun salute by a Navy honor guard.

"Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) 2nd Class Adam Smith now joins a long list of military members who have given their lives so all of us can enjoy the rights and privileges in this country; this is a harsh reminder that the price of freedom comes at a terrible cost," said Pastor Scott Dalrymple of the First Baptist Church, who presided over the ceremony. "Adam was born to be a SEAL and he found his place in life with the SEALs."

Smith was assigned to an East Coast based SEAL team out of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek – Fort Story, Va.

Face of Defense: Officer Uses Teaching Skills in Iraq

2010-10-15T12:32:00.000-04:00

Army 1st Lt. Rachel Adair, a company executive officer in the 3rd Infantry Division, works on paperwork. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Emily Knitter

By Army Pfc. Emily Knitter
U.S. Division Center

BAGHDAD, Oct. 15, 2010 – Army 1st Lt. Rachel Adair sits on a weathered, wooden picnic table here, shrouded in yellow light from a dust-covered lamp mounted overhead. Soldiers walk by through the dark, combat boots crunching on the gravel as they carry on with their evening.

Adair is a former middle school and high school teacher-turned Army transportation officer. Today, she serves in Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division as executive officer for Company G, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade.

Adair recalled how she decided to join the Army. “When I finished high school, I wasn’t too sure about anything,” Adair, a Bonner Springs, Kan., native, said. “The stories of military life always fascinated me. My 12th-grade government teacher was a retired lieutenant colonel, and he used to tell the absolute best stories. “All his stories really fascinated [the class],” she continued. “And it made you want to be in the military -- even just for a short time to say that you did it. I was definitely interested, but I wanted that college degree.”

Adair applied to the University of Kansas to pursue a career in teaching. “I enjoyed working with kids, so it just seemed a natural fit,” she said. While pursuing her education degree, Adair again ended up in class listening to a teacher tell stories of the military. “The professor that we spent the most time with had great stories too,” she said. “He was never in the military, but when he spoke about World War II and Vietnam, there was always such passion behind him. When people do look at our military, [they see] the history behind our whole country.”

Even though she was still fascinated by the stories, Adair said, she never had any serious intent to join the military at that time. While completing her graduate studies, Adair taught seventh-grade geography and 12th-grade government, just like her own teacher years before. “That last year I was teaching, I had my 12th-graders who were ready to go out into the world,” she said. “At 18 years old, they are kind of in that transition where some of them kind of know what they want to do, but they are still full of energy and they want to get out there and do something. A lot of them were joining the military.”

And then, Adair realized she still wanted to be part of the military. “I figured that was a good time [to join the military] because I didn’t have a family yet and I could travel,” she said. The Army was an easy choice when deciding which service to join, Adair said.

“I never really looked at the Marines,” she said. “At the time, I didn’t think Air Force, and I’m from Kansas so I definitely didn’t think Navy or Coast Guard. The way I looked at it, the Army is the military, just because it is so versatile and [it offers] the most opportunity. I could have done a whole slew of things in the Army.” So in late spring of 2007, Adair officially became a U.S. Army officer.

“I am a transportation officer,” she said. “I was the distribution platoon leader for 22 months, and I got my chance while we were here in Iraq to be out on the road a lot with my guys, which was a natural fit.”
Adair said she quickly discovered she was even more suited for the military lifestyle than she expected.

“At the end of the day, being a teacher and being in the military is about the same amount of work, which is kind of scary,” she said with a laugh. “It [says a lot about] how hard teachers actually work.”
Adair said her training as a teacher helps every day, even when she may not notice it.

“The younger soldiers, I know what they are interested in and I can kind of relate to them,” she said. “Because all the conversations and all the classroom discussions I have had in the past, I know what they are going through at that age. With the added deployment, I can also relate to them as a soldier.”
Adair said the rewards of being in the military are even greater when she works with soldiers in a deployed setting.

“The soldiers here are relied on to do an awful lot,” she said. “It is kind of that same pride that a teacher would feel when their kids finally get that diploma. Except we get that on a much bigger scale over here because there is much more at stake.”

Among all the experiences Adair has had since joining the military, one will always stick out for her.
“I think the biggest and best memory I am going to have of this deployment is being out on the road with my soldiers,” she said. “After all the planning and all the days of training and load up, once you actually get into the truck and you leave the [base], that is the best feeling in the world. The mission is not even over yet, but you feel good because all that planning has already paid off.”

But there are downsides to every adventure, and for Adair, that’s being away from home.
“The challenge is, when you look at your military career as opposed to your personal life, there isn’t a whole lot of time for your personal life,” she said. “That has been a pretty big challenge for me, especially as a female in the Army, because you want to be a soldier, you want to be a leader. But at the same time, you also want the family stuff.”

However, Adair uses the examples set by her mentors in the military as inspiration.
“There are enough female leaders I have seen who have managed to juggle both, so that is my goal,” she said. Adair said while having a family is a goal of hers, for now, she embraces each moment she gets to spend with her soldiers.

“The time you do get to hang out with the soldiers and talk to them is usually the best part of any officer’s day,” she said. Adair said she plans to return to teaching eventually. “I don’t know if it’ll be three years from now, or 15,” she said. “I think the Army is the life I want to stick with for right now.” When Adair does go back to teaching, she said, she’ll have even more in common with her old high school teacher.

“[The Iraq War] is the stuff we taught, and now I have firsthand knowledge of it,” she said. “So one day when I do go back to teaching, the stories are going to be that much better.”

Agency Director Offers U.S. Missile Defense Outline

2010-10-15T11:43:00.000-04:00

DEFENSE MISSLE AGENCY: Photo Department of Defense.

By Karen Parrish

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2010 – “To have effective missile defense, you need more than one layer,” the director of the Defense Missile Agency said this week.

During the Atlantic Council missile defense conference here Oct. 12, Army Lt. Gen. Patrick J. O’Reilly described the “phased, adaptive approach” policy for missile defense in Europe that President Barack Obama approved in 2009. O’Reilly said the three layers of the approach will counter short-range, medium- and intermediate-range, and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

O’Reilly then outlined the four phases of the U.S. missile defense policy for Europe. Phase one, to be implemented between now through 2012, he said, calls for current, proven missile systems and sensors to be deployed at sea to protect Europe and deployed U.S. servicemembers and their families.

During phase two, extending from 2012 through 2015, improved sea- and land-based systems now in development and testing will increase protection from short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, O’Reilly said.

Phase three, running from 2015 through 2018, will establish protection at sea and ashore from intermediate-range missiles, he said.

Phase four, extending from 2018 through 2020, will provide early-interception capability against medium- and intermediate-range missiles, he said, with a secondary capability to protect against intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The phased, adaptive approach is primarily designed to increase protection against medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles traveling above the earth’s atmosphere, from ranges of 1,000 kilometers to 5,500 kilometers, or about 600 to 3,400 miles, O’Reilly said. Phase-four capability, he said, will allow militaries to double the area they can protect, engage more than 50 missiles at once, and track hundreds of missiles at once.

By phase four, O’Reilly said, intercepting enemy missiles won’t be a one-shot, one-kill requirement.
“We want to intercept those missiles as soon as possible after they’ve been launched,” he said. “You need a higher-speed interceptor and you also need a mobile launch system that can be in the right place at the right time.”

That capability will be in place by 2012, O’Reilly said. “It will give you the capability to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles [and] intermediate-range ballistic missiles very early in their flight,” he said. “If you miss with that early attempt, you have another opportunity to hit with the upper tier. If you miss with that, you have another opportunity to hit with the lower tier … the more shot opportunities, the higher probability of intercept.”

The primary components of the approach are systems already in place or in testing, O’Reilly said, as well as the planned future versions of those systems. U.S. systems central to the phased, adaptive approach include sensors, software, and launcher and missile components, O’Reilly said. Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, an existing sea-based system, is slated for upgrade and expansion through phase four.

Aegis BMD incorporates computers, radar, and missiles to detect, track and destroy short- to intermediate-range missiles, he explained. Aegis BMD is currently aboard 21 U.S. Navy ships. Its future capabilities include longer range, improved early-intercept capability, increased number of ships and missiles, and an ashore capability.

The Army/Navy Transportable Radar Surveillance system, O’Reilly said, is a transportable X-band, high resolution, phased-array radar designed specifically for ballistic missile defense. It is capable of tracking all classes of ballistic missiles and identifying small objects at long distances. The radar system, he added, provides surveillance, tracking, discrimination and fire control support for the

Terminal High Altitude Area Defense weapon system. The system will be augmented in phases three and four by sensor systems now being developed, capable of tracking and intercepting enemy ballistic missiles in boost phase at or near engine burnout. The THAAD weapon system integrates launchers, interceptors, radar, fire control and communications units, and system-specific support equipment, O’Reilly said.

Flight testing of the THAAD system began in late 2005, he said. To date, the system has a 100 percent mission success rate in flight testing, he noted, with 10 successful tests and six–for-six intercepts. The system will be fielded through phase four.

The Command, Control, Battle Management, and Communications program globally links, integrates and synchronizes individual missile defense elements, systems and operations, O’Reilly explained. It creates a layered missile defense capability, he said, that enables response to threats of all ranges in all phases of flight. The program is currently in use and will be updated and enhanced through phase four.

O’Reilly said NATO is developing its own system, known as ALTBMD: The Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defense program. The program, he said, will upgrade, test and integrate NATO’s command and control systems and underlying communication network to enable effective information exchanges between various NATO and national missile defense systems. It also will provide complete coverage against tactical ballistic missiles with ranges up to 3,000 kilometers, or 1,864 miles. At NATO’s discretion, O’Reilly said, U.S. missile defense systems will integrate with NATO and allied nations’ systems to strengthen their overall defense capability.

“Our NATO allies can determine how they want to contribute to [cruise missile and short-range ballistic missile] defense,” he said. “We have the upper layer. They can effectively deploy the lower layer for an effective defense.” Missile defense will be a major topic of discussion at the NATO summit set for Nov. 19 and 20 in Lisbon, Portugal. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has declared missile defense a critical capability that the alliance must acquire.

At his monthly press briefing in Brussels Oct. 11, Rasmussen presented the agenda for the foreign and defense ministers’ meeting held there yesterday. The meeting was a preliminary session for the November summit. “NATO should develop the capability to defend Europe from the threat of missile attack,” Rasmussen said. “More than 30 countries in the world have, or are acquiring, ballistic missiles, some of which can already reach Europe.”

Given the catastrophic effects a missile strike in Europe could have, Rasmussen said, NATO can’t afford not to have missile defense.

Clinton, Gates Voice Support for Afghan Reconciliation

2010-10-15T11:32:00.000-04:00

DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES AND SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON
DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison

By John D. Banusiewicz

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Oct. 14, 2010 – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today expressed support for the Afghanistan government’s efforts to reconcile with high- and mid-level Taliban members and to reintegrate insurgent fighters into Afghan society.

Gates and Clinton were here at NATO headquarters today for meetings of the alliance’s foreign and defense ministers. Gates said Taliban reconciliation ultimately has to be part of the solution in Afghanistan. “We will do whatever we can to support that process,” he said. “I think one of the principles that we have established with [Afghan President Hamid Karzai] is transparency with one another as this process goes forward. We are in very close consultation with President Karzai and the Afghan government so we know what they’re doing, they know what we’re doing, and they understand what our requirements are.”

Clinton said those requirements, or “red lines,” for Taliban members seeking reconciliation and insurgent fighters seeking reintegration are that they must renounce violence, give up their weapons, renounce al-Qaida and the insurgency, and abide by Afghanistan’s laws and constitution.

Gates said close communication between the U.S. and Afghan governments on the issue ensures that Afghan officials know where the United States stands. “Frankly, we share with them what we think will be in their own best interests as the process goes along,” he said, “but it’s basically a partnership as we go forward with this. Clearly, the Afghans have the lead, but I think we’re confident that we have access into this process, and plenty of opportunities to make our concerns, as well as our suggestions, known.”

Gates noted that he and Clinton, as well as their NATO counterparts, had seen for themselves and heard from their NATO counterparts encouraging reports of progress in Afghanistan.
Gates added that Petraeus briefed him last night on progress in Afghanistan. “And I’ve had several defense ministers come up to me today who have just been in Afghanistan for the last few days or for the last week or so,” he said, “and to a person, they said they were heartened by what they saw.”

Clinton added that Petreaus’ report “reinforces a lot of the other information and evidence that we’re seeing about the increasing effectiveness on the ground of our joint efforts.” She also warned against reading too much into reports about activity on the reconciliation and reintegration front.

“This is a long process,” she said. “The reintegration process is accelerating. More and more of the fighters on the field are seeking a way out. Many of them found themselves employed by the Taliban or related insurgents because it was a way to make a living, and our reports are that more of them are seeking to leave the battlefield behind.”
But reconciliation is a much more complex effort that is just beginning, Clinton said.

“There are a lot of different strains to it that may or may not be legitimate or borne out as producing any bona fide reconciliation. … We support what the Afghans are doing,” she said. “We obviously have sought and obtained transparency. We have an understanding of their goals and objectives, and they have a very clear understanding of ours.”

GEN. PETRAEUS ADDRESS AT BLOG WORLD EXPO 2010

2010-10-15T11:15:00.001-04:00

BlogWorld Expo 2010 Miltrack Keynote: Opening Remarks, General David Petraeus from You Served Radio & Blog on Vimeo.